United States v. Ray
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
423 F.2d 16 (1970)

- Written by Alex Ruskell, JD
Facts
Ray (defendant) was a private contractor who wanted to commercially develop two coral reefs over four miles from Florida’s coast. The reefs were submerged and only partly visible during low tide. The reefs were also on the United States’ continental shelf. Ray began to build caissons on the reefs in order to build a new sovereign country. The United States sued for an injunction to stop Ray, arguing that the United States had sole rights over the reefs under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf. The district court granted a permanent injunction, and Ray appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Ainsworth, J.)
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