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In a case that has been watched closely by Orange County's clothing makers and retailers, garment workers have won the right to pursue a lawsuit against Forever 21 Inc. in state court.
Last month, an appeals panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling that had thrown out the garment workers' lawsuit against the Los Angeles-based retailer two years ago.
That ruling paves the way for the garment workers to file their lawsuit again-this time in state court.
"It's a very slow and arduous process," said Julia Figueira-McDonough, a lawyer with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, which represents the garment workers.
The lawsuit sought to hold Forever 21, a retailer with 125 stores, jointly responsible for the practices at sweatshops that make its private-label clothes.
Forever 21 is a rival of Foothill Ranch-based Wet Seal Inc. and Anaheim-based Pacific Sunwear of California Inc.
In a separate labor-related suit settled in January, Wet Seal agreed to pay $90,000 to four former workers at Los Angeles-based DT Sewing, which made clothes for Wet Seal. The workers claimed DT Sewing paid below minimum wage and no overtime. Wet Seal did not admit legal liability...