Commas do matter!
One comma (actually, a lack thereof) instigated a multi-million dollar lawsuit between some employees and their company.
Here is the first paragraph of a court ruling:
BARRON, Circuit Judge. For want of a comma, we have this case. It arises from a dispute between a Maine dairy company and its delivery drivers, and it concerns the scope of an exemption from Maine's overtime law.
The drivers argued that they deserved overtime pay for their work but the company said they did not. An appeals court sided with the drivers, http://cases.justia.com/federal/appellate-courts/ca1/16-1901/16-1901-2017-03-13.pdf?ts=1489437006 was due to the lack of an Oxford comma.
This is what the law says about activities that are EXEMPT from overtime pay.
The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment (Comma missing here) or distribution of:
(1) Agricultural produce;
(2) Meat and fish products; and
(3) Perishable foods.
According to court documents, the drivers distribute perishable food, but they don't pack it. So are they exempt or not? A lower court ruled against the workers, but it was overturned on appeal.
Top answer
AlpheccaStars An appeals court sided with the drivers What an idiotic ruling. It is obvious that the intention of that clause is to exempt distribution, otherwise there would need to be another "or" before "packing".
- AlpheccaStars An appeals court sided with the drivers What an idiotic ruling.
- It is obvious that the intention of that clause is to exempt distribution, otherwise there would need to be another "or" before "packing".
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AlpheccaStarsAn appeals court sided with the drivers
What an idiotic ruling. It is obvious that the intention of that clause is to exempt distribution, otherwise there would need to be another "or" before "packing".
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