Terrell Marshall Law Group wishes to congratulate Juno Turner and the team at Towards Justice on their victory in Burrell v. Lackawanna Recycling Center. On February 8th, 2023, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion that reinstated previously-dismissed claims under TVPA, RICO, and FSLA, as well as some of the Pennsylvania wage claims.
In this case, the plaintiffs were charged with contempt after failing to make child support payments. The court found they were obligated to make the payments even though they lacked the financial means to do so and sentenced them to prison. As part of the sentence, the plaintiffs were forced to pay off their debts by working at a county recycling plant where work conditions were quite poor and inmates were only paid $5 each day.
Terrell Marshall is proud to have partnered with Towards Justice in the past, including the recent case against Bright Horizons. We are also excited for what this decision could mean for our similar cases challenging the criminalization of poverty, including our cases challenging illegal court fees.