RI Pension Case Argued in Court
By Matt Blanchette
@mattblanchette
As rumors of a potential settlement in the lawsuit over Rhode Island’s pension overhaul swirl the court case continues.
Lawyers from both sides in court Thursday for pretrial motions. There were over two dozen lawyers in supreme court today in this high stakes case, asking for a summary judgement and laying out the basis for their cases in a trial that is scheduled to start on April 20.
Lawyers for the state and the retirees laid out the basis for the arguments they plan to make at trial.
The state will argue that the legislature eliminated lifetime or future cost of living adjustments back in 1980.
“So in our view they can’t have such a a right because the legislature expressly took it out, John Tarantino, an attorney for the state said.
Attorneys for the retirees say the COLAS are earned compensation.
“And since retirees cannot turn back the hand of time and undo the service that they performed during which they earned this deferred compensation, the state likewise cannot go back and take it away,” Carly Iafrate, who represents the retirees, said.
Superior Court Justice Judge Sarah Taft-Carter presided over today’s preceding without mention of a settlement or a lift of the gag order she imposed that keeps principals from discussing details of the case.
So the implications of any yes or no votes to the settlement will continue to be put on hold.
The coalition representing several groups of retirees overwhelmingly accepted a proposed settlement Monday.
Lawyers are prohibited from talking because of the gag order, but they did say they are preparing to go forward with the trial as scheduled.
