The 107 Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs definitely got overpaid. Sometimes for years. They should definitely pay the money back.
But many of those overpayments were a long time ago. They started back in 2012. At some point, it'd be unfair to deduct those overpayments from the employee's current wages. Even if -- and, to me, this makes the deductions much more reasonable than they would otherwise be -- the deductions are limited to 15% of the relevant deputy's weekly pay. The statute of limitations for mistake, for example, is three years. Is it really okay to recoup overpayments that one side unilaterally made a decade or so later? At some point, isn't it unfair?
The Court of Appeal holds -- among other things -- that statutes of limitations don't apply to administrative remedies like those applied here. Which seems likely correct as a matter of leagl doctrine.
But, man. At some point, doesn't equity come into play? Maybe not after 8 years. But at some point?
