Top Class Actions  |  October 4, 2022

Category: Closed Class Actions

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

This settlement is closed!

Please see what other class action settlements you might qualify to claim cash from in our Open Settlements directory!

Handcuffs and wooden gavel resting on law books on a desk, representing Santa Clara County jail wrongful detention settlement.
(Photo Credit: Proxima Studio/Shutterstock)

Santa Clara County agreed to pay $2.375 million as part of a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it wrongfully detained individuals in jail without prosecuting them.

The settlement benefits individuals who were detained at the Santa Clara County Jail between April 26, 2018, and April 26, 2021, for a period of over 12 hours after the district attorney declined to prosecute them.

The Santa Clara County Jail is in downtown San Jose, California. According to the Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff, this jail receives and books around 65,000 people each year.

According to a class action lawsuit, the county jail violated the 14th Amendment rights of detainees by failing to release them after 12 hours when the applicable district attorney declined to prosecute them. The plaintiff in the case says that he experienced this exact violation when he was detained in the Santa Clara County Jail.

The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution includes a number of protections for Americans, including the right to due process. By detaining individuals despite having no intention to prosecute them for a crime, the Santa Clara County Jail violated these rights, the class action lawsuit alleges.

The county hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to resolve these allegations with a $2.375 million class action settlement.

Of the wrongful detention settlement fund, $1.98 million will be used to compensate class members. 

Under the terms of the settlement, class members can receive payments for the time they were detained beyond 12 hours. For 12 to 24 hours of detention, class members can receive $250 per hour. For over 24 hours of detention, class members can receive $295 for each hour.

Exact payments will vary depending on the number of hours each class member was detained. For example, a class member who was detained for 16 hours would receive $1,000 (four hours at a rate of $250 per hour). In another example, a class member who was detained for 26 hours would receive $3,590 (12 hours at a rate of $250 per hour and two hours at a rate of $295 per hour).

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Oct. 28, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for the wrongful detention settlement is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2022.

In order to receive settlement benefits, class members must submit a valid claim form by Sept. 4, 2023.

Who’s Eligible

Individuals who were detained at the Santa Clara County Jail between 04/26/2018 – 04/26/2021, for a period of over 12 hours after the district attorney declined to prosecute them

Potential Award

Varies – $250/$295 per hour

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

09/04/2023

Case Name

Dylan Camarlinghi v. Santa Clara County, et al., Case No. 21-cv-03020-EJD (LB) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San José Division

Final Hearing

12/08/2022

Settlement Website
Claims Administrator

American Legal Claim Services, LLC
info@santaclaraoverdetention.com
(Include Camarlinghi v. Santa Clara County in the subject line)

Class Counsel

Akeeb Dami Animashaun

Lucy Brierly Bansal
Janet Herold
JUSTICE CATALYST LAW

Rachel Lederman
ALEXIS C BEACH & RACHEL LEDERMAN ATTORNEYS

Defense Counsel

Kim H Hara
OFFICE OF THE COUNTY COUNSEL, COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.

One thought on Santa Clara County wrongful detention $2.375M class action settlement

  1. Susan Phillips says:

    That happened to me in 1985 ,too bad it doesn’t go back that far ,.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.