Hoax leads hundreds who served time in crowded jail to sue
CAMDEN, N.J. — About 1,800 people who have been spent time in a crowded New Jersey jail have inundated federal court officials with lawsuits after an apparent hoax led them to believe money from a settlement was waiting for them.
The former inmates filed lawsuits at the federal courthouse in Camden, apparently after a rumour spread that anyone who had spent time in the overcrowded Camden County jail could get paid if they sue, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported (http://bit.ly/2goWn3v).
Officials say the hoax was perpetuated by people who claimed they received money and others who are passing out paperwork on city streets.
U.S. District Judge Jerome Simandle said he’s proud everyone has access to the federal court system, but that it’s troubling the suits were spurred by false information.