California County Jail Work Case Likely Going to State Top Court

A federal appeals court panel in San Francisco signaled that it would ask the California Supreme Court to decide whether non-convicted inmates at an Alameda County jail should be paid for the work they performed for an Aramark Corp. subsidiary.

Two judges repeatedly questioned lawyers during oral argument Monday at the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit why they shouldn’t certify the question of inmate pay for the state’s top court. The case presents a question of pure California state law and there isn’t any precedent that provides an answer, they said.

Alameda County’s lawyer, Adam Hofmann of ...