$3.3 Million Proposed as Settlement in Strip Search Class Action

A federal district judge has filed an order approving a preliminary settlement agreement in a class action suit filed in April 2007, against the county regarding unlawful strip searches at the jail.

The federal civil lawsuit, filed on behalf of 2 clients who claim they were unlawfully strip-searched while at the county jail, alleged that strip searches of all incoming pre-trial detainees were unconstitutional and conducted on people booked into the jail on minor charges or by mistake.

Once the preliminary settlement is signed-off on by the presiding judge, the defendants, which include Valencia County as well as Cornell Companies, the private company that operated the corrections facility for several years, will pay the plaintiffs $3.3 million. The county will pay $2.145 million, while Cornell agreed to pay its share of the final settlement of $1.155 million. The 2 plaintiffs in the case will each receive $42,500.

Reportedly, as many as 630 people are potential class members, although the plaintiff's attorneys believe that only a fraction of those people will submit claims, and that there will likely be more than $2000 awarded per claimant.

MARCH-18-09: Class action lawsuit on strip searches at county jail is settled [NEWS-BULLETIN: STRIP SEARCH CLASS ACTION SETTLED]