Last August the Excavators reported on Seattle's outrageous trash snooping scheme directing trash collectors to pick through folks' garbage bags in order to shame and fine anyone not recycling according to dictum. "In a city where political correctness trumps individual rights, the city passed an ordinance that not only requires Seattlelites to compost their food waste, but required its trash collectors to inspect trash cans for excess food waste, with the threat of shaming notices and fines for noncompliance. The problem here is that the Washington State Constitution’s right to privacy doesn’t allow this — according to well-established state Supreme Court precedent."
Pacific Legal Foundation (bless them) took this on, and won! Resistance to coercion may not be entirely futile.
Pacific Legal Foundation (bless them) took this on, and won! Resistance to coercion may not be entirely futile.
Pacific Legal Foundation
Liberty Blog
Ethan Blevins - April 27, 2016
Today, Judge Beth Andrus ruled that Seattle cannot hunt through its residents’ garbage in search of prohibited food waste. Our lawsuit, Bonesteel v. City of Seattle, challenged a Seattle law that says garbage collectors must search through trash cans along their routes each week to determine whether more than ten percent of the volume of your garbage contains food waste or recyclables. We relied on Washington’s right to privacy, which ensures that “no person shall be disturbed in his private affairs” without a warrant. The judge agreed that the garbage can contains private information about our lives that deserve protection from prying eyes. If Seattle wants to rifle through your trash, it’ll now need a warrant. You can read the judge’s opinion here.
Liberty Blog
Ethan Blevins - April 27, 2016
Today, Judge Beth Andrus ruled that Seattle cannot hunt through its residents’ garbage in search of prohibited food waste. Our lawsuit, Bonesteel v. City of Seattle, challenged a Seattle law that says garbage collectors must search through trash cans along their routes each week to determine whether more than ten percent of the volume of your garbage contains food waste or recyclables. We relied on Washington’s right to privacy, which ensures that “no person shall be disturbed in his private affairs” without a warrant. The judge agreed that the garbage can contains private information about our lives that deserve protection from prying eyes. If Seattle wants to rifle through your trash, it’ll now need a warrant. You can read the judge’s opinion here.
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