PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The U.S. attorney must file a civil case in federal or territorial court when a citizen gives a sworn statement saying a law banning unlawful enclosures is being broken. The statement must describe the fenced or enclosed land so it can be identified and name or describe the people who control it. The United States sues those in charge of the enclosure. A court that covers where the land is can order people to stop the violation. Serving any agent or employee who runs the enclosure is enough. If the court finds the enclosure illegal, it will order it removed or destroyed unless the defendant removes it within five days after the court’s order.

Title 43, §1062

Public Lands, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It shall be the duty of the United States attorney for the proper district, on affidavit filed with him by any citizen of the United States that section 1061 of this title is being violated showing a description of the land inclosed with reasonable certainty, not necessarily by metes and bounds nor by governmental subdivisions of surveyed lands, but only so that the inclosure may be identified, and the persons guilty of the violation as nearly as may be, and by description, if the name cannot on reasonable inquiry be ascertained, to institute a civil suit in the proper United States district court, or territorial district court, in the name of the United States, and against the parties named or described who shall be in charge of or controlling the inclosure complained of as defendants; and jurisdiction is also conferred on any United States district court or territorial district court having jurisdiction over the locality where the land inclosed, or any part thereof, shall be situated, to hear and determine proceedings in equity, by writ of injunction, to restrain violations of the provisions of this chapter; and it shall be sufficient to give the court jurisdiction if service of original process be had in any civil proceeding on any agent or employee having charge or control of the inclosure. In any case if the inclosure shall be found to be unlawful, the court shall make the proper order, judgment, or decree for the destruction of the inclosure, in a summary way, unless the inclosure shall be removed by the defendant within five days after the order of the court.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1984—Pub. L. 98–620 struck out provision that any suit brought under this section had precedence for hearing and trial over other cases on the civil docket of the court, and had to be tried and determined at the earliest practicable day.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Act June 25, 1948, eff. Sept. 1, 1948, substituted “United States attorney” for “district attorney of the United States.” See section 541 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, and

Historical and Revision Notes

thereunder. The words “district court” substituted for “district or circuit court” in two places to conform to act Mar. 3, 1911, which abolished the circuit courts and transferred their powers and duties to the district courts.

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–620 not applicable to cases pending on Nov. 8, 1984, see section 403 of Pub. L. 98–620, set out as a note under section 1657 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

§1062 Suits for Violations of Law