Eviction

El Salvador’s Land Conflict Escalates: Community Leaders Arrested as Eviction Tensions Rise Near President Bukele’s Residence

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Santa Tecla, El Salvador — In early May, the farming cooperative El Bosque received an eviction notice, reigniting a longstanding struggle for land rights. In an effort to seek help, members of the cooperative gathered for a peaceful sit-in outside the private residence of President Nayib Bukele. The demonstration, however, was met with a heavy police presence, resulting in the arrest of five individuals, including the cooperative’s president, José Ángel Pérez, and his lawyer, Alejandro Henríquez. The detentions sparked widespread anxiety among the community. Pérez and Henríquez face charges of public disorder under the government’s … Read more

Landlord Murder Retrial Set for Dallas Man Following Eviction Dispute in Waco

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Waco, Texas – A Dallas man will face a second trial for capital murder starting Monday in Waco’s 19th State District Court. The case re-examines the man’s alleged role in a plot to rob and murder his former landlord in December 2022. 21-year-old Brandon Stephens, along with his co-defendant James Keylan Willis, also from Dallas, is accused of orchestrating the crime which resulted in the death of 59-year-old Stanley Wilcox. Last week, Willis received a life sentence without possibility of parole following his conviction for the same crime. According to authorities, Stephens and Willis conspired … Read more

Virginia Court Orders $750,000 Payout in Racial Discrimination Eviction Case at Smith Mountain Lake

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Moneta, VA — A Virginia jury has awarded $750,000 in damages to seven families after finding that their eviction from a mobile home park at Smith Mountain Lake was racially motivated. This legal decision highlights ongoing concerns about racial discrimination in housing practices within the region. The case centered around accusations that a local property management company, which had recently taken over the management of the mobile home park, had unjustly evicted multiple African American families. Testimonies provided during the trial suggested the evictions were part of a broader plan to redevelop the area and … Read more

Virginia Campground Owner Ordered to Pay $750,000 for Racial Discrimination Eviction

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Franklin County, VA — In a historic decision, a Franklin County jury awarded $750,000 in damages to two families who faced eviction based on racial discrimination at a Smith Mountain Lake campground. This case represents the highest fair housing jury award ever achieved under the legal guidance of the Virginia attorney general’s office. In June 2020, Regina Turner, the proprietor of Lazy Cove Campground, attempted to evict two families renting lakeside lots after she discovered the racial identity of one of the renters, Damien Smith, who is Black. The revelation led Turner to express discriminatory … Read more