No. 14- IN THE Supreme Court of the United States WEST CHELSEA BUILDINGS LLC, 22-23 CORP., 26-10 CORP., TENTH AVENUE REALTY ASSOCIATES LP AND SOMATIC REALTY, LLC, Petitioners, v. UNITED STATES, Respondent. ON PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI BRADFORD R. CLARK MARK F. ( T HOR) HEARNE, II 2000 H Street, N.W. Counsel of Record Washington, DC 20052 MEGHAN S. LARGENT (202) 994-2073 LINDSAY S.C. BRINTON STEPHEN S. DAVIS CHRISTOPHER J. PAOLELLA ARENT FOX, LLP J. DAVID REICH 112 S. Hanley Road REICH & PAOLELLA LLP Clayton, MO 63105 111 Broadway, Suite 2002 (314) 296-4000 New York, NY 10006
[email protected] (212) 804-7090 Counsel for Petitioners 254560 A (800) 274-3321 • (800) 359-6859 i QUESTIONS PRESENTED 1. When the resolution of a novel or unsettled issue of New York law would allow the Federal Circuit to avoid deciding a difficult question of federal constitutional law, may the Federal Circuit summarily (and without explanation) decline to certify the issue to the New York Court of Appeals contrary to the principles of judicial federalism and constitutional avoidance underlying this Court’s decisions in Railroad Comm’n of Texas v. Pullman, 312 U.S. 496 (1941), and Arizonians for Offi cial English v. Arizona, 520 U.S. 43 (1997)? 2. When the United States takes an easement from New York landowners pursuant to the National Trails System Act Amendments of 1983, Pub. L. No. 98-11, 16 U.S.C.