Alcozer v. North Country Food Bank

I respectfully dissent. The narrow issue before the court is whether relator, Arturo Aleozer, an injured workfare worker, is an employee under the Workers’ Compensation Act. I conclude that he is. The facts of this case, the plain language of the statute, and our case law all dictate a holding that Aleozer is an employee who should not be excluded from the fundamental protection of our workers’ compensation law. Such a holding is consistent with the purpose of the Act and related statutory schemes and it avoids offending well-established public policy principles. Further, unlike the…