OH Close Youth Correctional Facility Lawsuit Lawyer
On June 30, 2023, the State of California closed the juvenile detention center known as the OH Close Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton, California. The last of the youths who were at the state-run juvenile hall were moved to county facilities, according to the requirements under Senate Bill 823.
You may be one of countless children who stayed at OH Close, or there is someone in our family who was detained at this facility. Either way, news of the closure may be triggering for you due to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse by one or more staff members. Unfortunately, the abuse of minors in juvenile halls is a serious problem that has gone unchecked for too many years. That includes facilities run by the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), a subsection of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The closure of OH Close is part of the movement towards compassionate and rehabilitative services that acknowledge the special needs of juvenile inmates. But shutting down a notorious detention center doesn’t take away the pain and suffering that so many children were put through. Most of these victims are now adults, and they are still struggling to recover from the trauma of sexual assault and relentless harassment while they were serving a sentence at OH Close Youth Correctional Facility.
Justice must not be denied to survivors of child sexual abuse, which is why we are so passionate in our commitment to juvenile inmates and their family members. To learn more about your rights and legal options from a lawyer who can sue OH Close Youth Correctional Facility for sexual abuse, please schedule a free case evaluation.
$1.93 Million
$2,287,495
$54 Million
$22 Million
$600,000
$965,000
Assaulted By Employee
$1,900,000
$1,975,000
Yes, you have the right to sue the State of California if DJJ officials failed to protect you from a sexual predator at the OH Close Youth Correctional Facility. Grounds for a sexual abuse lawsuit are based on the following principles:
- The defendant (party you are suing) owed you a duty of care.
- The defendant was negligent in their duty of care to you, either through carelessness, failure to act, or intentional misconduct.
- Because the defendant breached their duty of care, you sustained injuries of a physical and/or emotional nature.
- The impact of your injuries resulted in monetary losses, which entitles you to a lawsuit against the defendant.
Negligence and misconduct by juvenile justice officials is typically why so many inmates are subjected to sexual abuse. When there are allegations of abuse, immediate action is needed to investigate the incident and ensure the inmate’s safety. Instead, many of these complaints go nowhere, and the employee is allowed to stay at the facility and continue their pattern of assault and harassment. Sometimes, evidence of sexual assault is hidden or destroyed in order to protect a staff member, who should have been fired long ago. This is why you normally have dozens of victims that come forward whenever a juvenile hall employee is arrested for sexual misconduct with an inmate.
The issue of sexual abuse at youth detention centers is a deep-rooted problem that goes far beyond the abuser and the child that is left with the scars of sexual abuse. We also have to examine and confront the system that is in charge of protecting minors at a juvenile detention center. This is why the state, county, and city agencies are named as the defendant in just about every case for sexual abuse at OH Close Youth Correctional Facility.
Sexual Abuse Class Action Lawsuit against the OH Close Youth Correctional FacilityIf you would like to join a class action lawsuit against OH Close Youth Correctional Facility, contacting an experienced sexual abuse law firm is the best course of action. We can help you locate other victims and file the necessary paperwork on your behalf, or help you join an existing class action claim for sexual misconduct at the OH Close Youth Correctional Facility.
Before we take these actions, we want to give you an opportunity to ask any questions and make sure you understand how these lawsuits work. Most of our clients to do end up being part of a class action case with other inmates, but this may not be the best course of action based on your personal circumstances and preferences. For a more detailed discussion on your rights with a sexual abuse class action lawyer, contact us today.
What is the Time Limit if I want to File a Lawsuit?The deadline to sue for sexual abuse is 10 years for adults (at least 18 years old), starting from the incident date or the most recent incident of sexual assault and/or harassment. If the abuse started when you were a minor (under 18 years old), California law has two standards that can be used to determine the statute of limitations for a juvenile hall lawsuit.
The first standard requires that you file a lawsuit within 22 years of your 18th birthday, which gives you until the age of 40 to sue the Californian Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. If you are over 40 years old, you may be eligible for a lawsuit if there is a discovery of injury that was caused by assault or abuse of a sexual nature.
For example, many clients that we represent have serious mental health issues that they were unable to resolve until they sought help from a therapist. It was during their sessions that the secret of sexual abuse was revealed, and finally, the connection was made between what happened at OH Close Youth Correctional Facility and their mental health disorders.
Once you realize the injuries you’ve sustained from childhood sexual abuse, you must file a lawsuit within 5 years. And there is no age limit to the discovery rule, so you are eligible for a lawsuit no matter how old you are. If you would like more information on the 5-year discovery rule for sexual assault during childhood, please talk to a juvenile hall assault and abuse attorney at our office.
Settlement Value of a Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse LawsuitJuvenile hall sexual misconduct lawsuits are generally worth 6 to 7 figures, with settlements for sexual assault falling between $2,500,000 and $5,000,000. Those who were subjected to sexual exploitation, solicitation, and harassment may end up with $1,500,000 or less. However, the amount you can receive from an OH Close Youth Correctional Facility abuse lawsuit depends on other factors, aside from the type of abuse you suffered. That’s why the actual value of your child sexual abuse claim may be anywhere from $450,000 to over $10,000,000.
While it’s helpful to get a sense of average case values, you should always verify how much your lawsuit is worth by speaking to an experienced OH Close Youth Correctional Facility sexual abuse lawyer.
It can take around 1 to 2 years on average to settle an OH Close Youth Correctional Facility sexual abuse lawsuit. Cases involving sex abuse of a minor are incredibly complicated to begin with. When you add in the requirements of seeking compensation from the government, it’s inevitable that most of these lawsuits will take anywhere from 12 to 36 months. Cases that take the longest to resolve are the ones that go to trial. This is quite rare, and it’s more than likely that you and the defendant will eventually agree on the amount of compensation. But if there is no way to negotiate a fair settlement award, taking your case to court may be the only option. If a trial becomes necessary, getting paid from a juvenile inmate sexual assault lawsuit can take over 3 years.
No Cost Legal ServicesThat’s right – our law firm offers free legal service to victims of sexual abuse at the OH Close Youth Correctional Facility. We are a contingency fee law firm, so all legal fees are paid by the defendant at the same time as your settlement check. That means we make absolutely nothing unless you receive compensation from a juvenile inmate sexual abuse lawsuit.
We hope you will take this opportunity to give us a call and learn how you can sue the State of California for sexual abuse of a minor at the OH Close Youth Correctional Facility. Contact us right away to schedule a free, confidential case review.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Kern County Superior Court – Juvenile Justice Center Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Sexual Abuse at Napa County Juvenile Hall Lawsuit Attorney
Attorneys for Sexual Abuse Cases at FCI Dublin