$5.5 Million Settlement Reached in Bexar Jail Strip Search Suit

San Antonio, TX: A $5.5 million settlement has been reached in the class action lawsuit against Bexar County Jail over illegal strip searches.

Filed in 2005, the suit alleged that the county's policy "to force those charged with minor crimes to undergo the indignities of a strip search upon detention is not only clearly illegal, but is insensitive and unnecessary."

Thousands of people may be eligible to share in the settlement, the terms of which are posted at Bexarcountystripsearch.com. Claimants must have been booked into the Bexar County Correctional Facility between November 15, 2005 and April 9 , 2009 to be eligible to join the class.

A county spokesperson, Laura Jesse told local media that as many as 30,000 people could qualify for some sort of payment. Anyone charged on a felony offense, who went into the factility after being convicted of a crime, or who entered the facility but was not strip searched does not qualify to enter the class.