Opinion ID: 415223
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Necessity of Class Certification

Text: 17 According to appellants, class certification was unnecessary as it served no useful function and merely added to the discovery burdens and attorneys' fees obligations of appellants .... However, as was previously noted, plaintiffs' original complaint sought restoration of benefits, including notice of the restoration of such benefits. It would indeed be difficult for the plaintiffs to obtain the requested relief absent certification of a class action. Initially, since the plaintiffs had actual notice of the EPSDT cutbacks, they would not appear to have standing to raise the argument that would require the defendants-appellants to give notice of the reinstated benefits to the eligible recipients who had no actual notice. Also, plaintiffs would be unable to obtain classwide notice if no class action was certified since the other eligible recipients would not be parties to this litigation and would not be entitled to the benefits of the district court's judgment. This is not a case in which the plaintiffs simply attack the facial validity of a statute and seek to have it declared unenforceable. See Johnson v. City of Opelousas, 658 F.2d at 1069 n. 5 and cases cited therein. Nor is this a case in which the litigants being sued have agreed to apply the court's judgment on a classwide basis. Id. To the contrary, plaintiffs sought not only declarative and injunctive relief, but moved the district court to require appellants to give notice to all eligible EPSDT children of the reinstatement of their guaranteed benefits. This class action was, therefore, necessary. 11