Occupy Los Angeles Protests Class Action Settlement

A $2.6 million class action settlement was reached to resolve allegations that the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and other city officials violated Class Members’ rights under the First, Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution during the Occupy Los Angeles protests on Nov. 30, 2011 by “declaring an unlawful assembly, making unlawful arrests and holding plaintiffs in unconstitutional conditions of confinement and unlawfully denying plaintiffs release from custody on their own recognizance.” If you participated in the Occupy Los Angeles protests you may be eligible for benefits from this class action settlement.

The Occupy Los Angeles class action lawsuit was filed in December 2012, more than a year following the arrest of several people by the Los Angeles Police Department, who were participating in the Occupy Los Angeles protests. However, some who were arrested claim that they withdrew when asked by police. According to the class action lawsuit, when people were arrested, they were put on either city or county buses for several hours. There were others that were kept in jail for up to two days even though they were allegedly eligible to be released on their own recognizance, but they were denied release anyway.

This class action settlement is for anyone who was in or around the Los Angeles City Hall Lawn area (between Los Angeles Street and Broadway Street and between Cesar Chavez Avenue and Second Street) from midnight until 3:00 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2011 and was arrested by the LAPD in connection with efforts to disperse the Occupy Los Angeles protests.

The City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County both deny any wrongdoing in this class action settlement but agreed to settle this class action lawsuit to avoid the costs and risk of trial. A California federal judge granted preliminary approval to this Occupy Los Angels class action settlement on April 24.2015.

Who’s Eligible

Class Members include anyone who was in or around the Los Angeles City Hall Lawn area (between Los Angeles Street and Broadway Street and between Cesar Chavez Avenue and Second Street) from midnight until 3:00 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2011 and was arrested by the LAPD in connection with efforts to disperse the Occupy Los Angeles protest.

This class action settlement includes two sub-classes:

1. The Vicinity Sub-Class includes those who were arrested but were not involved in the Occupy Los Angeles protests or had dispersed when asked by policye

2. The OR Sub-Class includes those who were arrested and denied release on their on recognizance even though they qualified for it.

Potential Award

Class Members will divide $1.825 million, which is the amount left over from the $2.6 million settlement once attorneys’ fees and payments for the Class Representatives were accounted for. The exact amount Class Members will receive will depend on how many Class Members file claims.

Proof of Arrest

In order to receive money from this class action settlement, police records must show that you were arrested. Class Members must fill out a claim form, which needs to be mailed to the Claims Administrator, postmarked no later than July 6, 2015.

Claim Form

Claim Form Deadline

07/06/2015

Case Name

Cheryl Aichele et al. v. City of Los Angeles et al. Case No. 2:12-cv-10863-DMG-FFM, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Final Hearing

08/28/2015

Settlement Website

www.OccupyLASettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Aichele v. City of Los Angeles Settlement Administrator
c/o Gilardi & Co., LLC
P.O. Box 8060
San Rafael, CA 94912-8060
(888) 288-6910
info@OccupyLASettlement.com

Class Counsel

KAYE, MCLANE, BEDNARSKI & LITT
LAW OFFICE OF CAROL A. SOBEL
HADSELL STORMER & RENICK
SCHONBRUN, DE SIMONE, SEPLOW, HARRIS & HOFFMAN

Defense Counsel

LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
LAWRENCE BEACH ALLEN AND CHOI PC