Tens of thousands of people were falsely accused of cheating on their unemployment benefits. The state took money from their tax refund or ordered them to re-pay benefits. That was after a problem with the state’s automated system.
At one point during the arguments, Justice Richard Bernstein questioned the logic of the state’s argument. That the case should be dismissed because the plaintiffs filed their lawsuit after their property was taken away, not when they first got notice of the fraud accusation.
“My question to you, is that really sensible?”
David Reinke from Novi hopes to join the lawsuit if it goes forward. He says he was excited to hear Justice Bernstein grilling the state.
“I thought wow somebody gets it! Somebody actually gets it!”
A lawyer for the plaintiffs says if the case goes forward, anywhere between 20 to 40 thousand people could join the lawsuit.