Appeals Court Rejects Slavery Reparations Case
Judge Richard Posner’s 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a slave reparations claim:
The opinion, written by Judge Richard A. Posner, said that “statutes of limitations would be toothless” if descendants could collect damages for wrongs against their ancestors.
“A person whose ancestor had been wronged a thousand years ago could sue on the ground that it was a continuing wrong and he is one of the victims,” the court said. It said statutes of limitations could be extended in some cases but not for acts committed 100 years ago.
The panel also said the descendants lacked standing to sue because their links to the slaves were distant.
Steve Gardner mentions the case’s importance:
This appears to be a case of first impression where a claim seeking damages arising out of slavery has made it past a motion to dismiss. It is significant for that alone, but beyond that, it will permit the plaintiffs to find out exactly what these modern companies knew about their involvement in slavery and the degree to which these companies hid that fact from the public.
Plaintiffs can continue their consumer fraud case. Their argument is companies like JP Morgan knowingly hid their past history supporting slavery. “Descendants claim they have been injured by buying products from companies that concealed the fact that they or their predecessor companies somehow benefited from slavery.”
Like the reparations claim this consumer fraud one is ridiculous. Since slavery was outlawed companies have been bought and sold, merged and split. It’s hard enough for complete records to survive a deal today with all the databases and electronic backups. As in the case of reparations those that committed the unjust acts should be punished and compensate the victims. Both parties died decades ago. This is just about one thing: money. It’s a Jesse Jackson-style shakedown.
“Fed Appeals Court Rejects Slave Descendants Reparations Claims” [via Iowa Voice]
