D.C.'s eviction filing moratorium doesn't pass 'constitutional muster,' judge rules

As economic pressure tightens on both renters and landlords in the coronavirus pandemic’s ninth month, a court ruling Wednesday struck down a key provision in the District’s plan to keep renters safe from eviction.

In a 40-page ruling, D.C. Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein released an order ruling the District’s moratorium on filing new eviction cases “does not pass constitutional muster.”

The city’s moratorium on eviction filings denies “property owners their day in court for an extended indefinite period” and therefore violates the owners Constitutional right to “regain possession of their property in a summary proceeding," the judge found.

However, Epstein pointed out that his ruling will for now only have a limited impact on the number of cases within the city limits — 458, according to the order.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/12/16/dc-eviction-filing-moratorium-coronavirus-lawsuit/