Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Fletcher-Hill on Saturday granted a temporary restraining order stopping the state of Maryland from ending federal unemployment benefits.
The Circuit Court wrote: "The court finds that plaintiffs have satisfied all four of the preliminary injunctive relief factors and have also shown a threat of 'immediate, substantial, irreparable harm.'"
The governor said Saturday that the state would appeal. The same day, the state's second-highest court, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, denied the motion to stay the temporary restraining order.
On Monday, the state's highest court, the Maryland Court of Appeals, dismissed the governor's attempts to stop the emergency order that allows unemployed residents to continue to receive federally funded benefits. This includes gig and contract workers who do not usually qualify for benefits. The federal government was also providing an extra $300 per week to all claimants.