The Michigan Court of Appeals has dismissed a class-action lawsuit filed against the state by people who were wrongly accused of ripping off the unemployment system.
The appeals court said three plaintiffs representing all the people who were wrongly accused waited too long to file the legal action.
Jennifer Lord is an attorney for the plaintiffs. She says the state is abusing a legal technicality to evade responsibility. She says the next stop is the Michigan Supreme Court.
“We want everyone to know we’re not giving up," says Lord. "We’re in it for the long haul, and we’re going to continue to fight this as long as it takes.”
The state sanctioned many thousands of workers based on computer errors. The state's liability could have been as much as half a (b) billion dollars. A spokesman for the unemployment agency says people who were wrongly accused and sanctioned will get refunds.