Court Opinion

ID: 9451264
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:11:45.619922+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:38.265946
License: Public Domain

MEDINA, Circuit Judge
(concurring) :
I concur but solely on the ground that, in the context of legislation providing benefits for the unemployed, the performance of military reserve service is not “work” and the payments received by reason of such service are not “wages of any kind.” Therefore, the answers were not “false statements” within the meaning of 42 U.S.C., Section 1400s(a). This remains true, in my opinion, even if a New York or Connecticut administrative agency ruled that an applicant was or was not to be disqualified from receiving benefits if he had received, during the period in question, sums of money for the performance of reserve military service. I see no distinction between jury service and the performance of military reserve service. Serving on juries, again in the context of legislation providing benefits for the unemployed, is not “work” nor are jury fees “wages of any kind.”
Moreover, a conviction for having made a false statement that turns out not to be false cannot stand, even if the person convicted thought the statement was false when he made it.