Circuit Judge Alice Gray
has issued a formal order explaining why she’d decided the city of Little Rock had deprived residents of the Alexander Apartments of due process rights when it gave them a week’s notice to vacate apartments in 2015 because of safety code violations.

She said she’d a trial would determine damages for the violation.

The judge said she’d continue to consider tenants’ request for a summary judgment against the owners of the apartments, an LLC. Tenants received letters Dec. 21, 2015 ordering them to vacate by Dec. 28 after numerous code violations were found. Tenants’ utilities were cut off and they were given no way to appeal the decision.

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The city said it wasn’t required to follow due process rules in exercising police power to abate a nuisance. The judge disagreed.

Legal Aid and Arkansas Community Organizations have been working in the tenants’ interest since the beginning.

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