Glass v. Goeckel

The issue presented in this case is whether the public has a right to walk along the shores of the Great Lakes where a private landowner ostensibly holds title to the water’s edge. To resolve this issue we must consider two component questions: (1) how the public trust doctrine affects private littoral1 title; and (2) whether the public trust encompasses walking among the public rights protected by the public trust doctrine.

Despite the competing legal theory offered by Justice MARKMAN, our Court unanimously agrees that plaintiff does not interfere with defendants’ property rights when she…