Marion County, Indiana, Improper Jail Detention Class Action Settlement

Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, officials agreed to a settlement to resolve claims that individuals who faced detention for too long in county sheriffs’ jail facilities.

The settlement benefits individuals who were detained by the Marion County sheriff for 12 hours or longer after legal authority ceased between June 6, 2014, and Nov. 19, 2021. This could include detainees held longer than 72 hours or those held after posting bond or bail. 

According to the settlement agreement, there are 15,083 jail stays included under this definition.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office serves Indianapolis and other cities within the county by managing jail facilities, providing emergency dispatch, serving court orders, and more. Unfortunately, the office may violate state law by detaining people for longer than is allowed.

The Marion County improper jail detention class action lawsuit contends individuals are incarcerated for “unreasonable periods of time” due to the county sheriff’s policy of 72-hour release time periods. Due to these policies, detainees such as the plaintiffs were allegedly held after their release was ordered or after legal authority for their detention ceased.

Instead of releasing detainees at the proper time, Marion County sheriff’s officials allegedly re-arrest individuals and detain them for longer than allowed. These issues are made worse by computer errors which fail to record bail payments and other important events which would hasten release, the plaintiffs contend.

“Due to these above policies and procedures, it is not uncommon for prisoners who have been released by the courts […] to be held by the Marion County Sheriff longer than legally authorized, including days, past the time they should have been released,” the class action lawsuit contends.

Marion County, Indianapolis, and the Marion County sheriff haven’t admitted wrongdoing but agreed to settle the claims against them for an undisclosed settlement amount.

Under the terms of the settlement, Class Members can collect $40 for each hour they were held over the detention limit at Marion County Sheriff jails. 

According to the settlement agreement, the 15,083 jail stays included in the Class definition resulted in 175,814 hours eligible for compensation. 

If all these hours are claimed, Marion County could pay over $7 million to improperly detained individuals.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is April 27, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for the Marion County improper jail detention settlement is scheduled for July 14, 2022.

In order to receive a payment from the settlement, Class Members must file a valid claim form by April 27, 2022.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits individuals who were detained by the Marion County sheriff for 12 hours or longer after legal authority ceased between June 6, 2014, and Nov. 19, 2021. This could include detainees held longer than 72 hours or those held after posting bond or bail. 

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

No proof of purchase applicable.

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

04/27/2022

Case Name

Driver v. Marion County Sheriff, et al., Case No. 1:14-cv-02076-RLY-MJD, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

Final Hearing

07/14/2022

Settlement Website

MarionDetentionSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Marion County IN OverDetention Class Settlement Administrator 
c/o Rust Consulting, Inc – 7540 
PO Box 2599 
Faribault, MN 55021-9599
877-294-0756

Class Counsel

Richard A. Waples
WAPLES & HANGER

John Young
YOUNG & YOUNG

Defense Counsel

Anne Harrigan
CHIEF LITIGATION COUNSEL