Juvenile Hall Abuse Lawyer

As an inmate, you have the right to sue for being sexually abused at a detention facility by a staff member, such as a probation officer or counselor. You also have the right to file a lawsuit for monetary damages like medical costs and pain and suffering based on the fact that an adult took advantage of you in a sexual manner. That means the idea of consent (saying yes or no) is irrelevant when we are talking about sexual relations between an inmate and a juvenile justice employee.

In California, minors are defined as individuals under the age of 18. As a minor, you cannot give consent to engaging in sexual activity, so there is no defense that can be used by an adult that obtains sexual gratification from an interaction with someone under 18 years old. This is why any sexual relationship between an adult and inmate younger than 18 is classified as child sexual abuse.

Aside from the person that used you in a sexual manner, you may have grounds to sue the State of California, since you were an inmate of the California Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This agency has a duty of care to you, which involves checking up on the facility and ensuring that inmates are well taken care of in safe and clean surroundings. They must also take immediate action if one of their employees has been accused of sexual abuse, but we know that far too many of these cases are dismissed. Some officials will go so far as to destroy evidence indicating abuse at the facility in order to deny victims the justice they deserve.

Such egregious levels of negligence cannot be tolerated, and we will not rest in our fight to combat incidents of child sexual abuse in the juvenile justice system. For more information on suing the State of California for inmate abuse at a youth detention center, contact us today.

If you have considered the possibility of a class action lawsuit for sexual abuse against the Division of Juvenile Justice, contact our office and learn more about these lawsuits from an experienced juvenile hall class action attorney.

As we investigate abuse allegations on behalf of a client, there is almost always a trail of victims that were abused by the same staff member. These other inmates may be interested in seeking justice as well, and this is how class action lawsuits are established. However, you should always verify that a legal action is in your best interest, which we can help you with here at DTLA Law Group. Please schedule a free case review to discuss the option of filing a California Division of Juvenile Justice sexual abuse class action claim.

The average value of a juvenile inmate sexual abuse lawsuit in California is between $2,500,000 to $5,000,000 for sexual assault, and $500,000 to $1,500,000 for sexual harassment incidents. Keep in mind, however, that some cases end up in higher payments due to the severity of physical / psychological injuries and extreme negligence by those in charge of the inmate’s safety.

A class action lawsuit against the Division of Juvenile Justice sexual abuse can settle for over $200,000,000. Many of these lawsuits are filed on behalf of 100 or more victims, which explains the high settlement amounts. Once the settlement is recovered, it’s divided between all the class members, so what you end up with will probably be around $400,000 to $2,000,000.

Preparing a lawsuit and negotiating a settlement on behalf of a child sexual abuse victim often takes around 12 to 24 months. If a settlement cannot be negotiated and we decide to ask for a trial date, 3 or more years can go by before you receive payment from a jury verdict. However, we can promise you that trials are extremely rare, as government agencies are looking for the cheapest and fastest way to resolve a claim for abuse by one of their employees. This is why there are situations where a case is settled within the first 6 months. But we would have to say that the majority of lawsuits take at least 1 year from start to finish.

Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse in California have 22 years to file a lawsuit, starting from the date of turning 18 years old. In that case, it would seem that there is an age limit of 40 when it comes to suing a juvenile hall for the sexual abuse of an inmate. But this is not necessarily true, as there are lawsuits that are filed by people who are past the age of 40.

A few years ago, the California Legislature made sweeping changes in the laws protecting the rights of child sexual assault victims. These include extending the statute of limitations to 5 years from the discovery of an injury that resulted from sexual abuse, whether it’s a physical injury or psychological damage. This was in response to adult survivors who were unable to process what they had endured for many years. However, the repression of painful memories coupled with the shame and guilt of sexual abuse do not just go away, and this is why so many of these individuals end up with serious mental health issues.

Figuring out that these issues are associated with sexual abuse at a juvenile detention center can take many years, which is why it’s unfair to place an age limit on how long you have to sue for sexual abuse that occurred while you were a child. You may be older than 40, but the late discovery of an injury may provide you with 5 more years to file a Division of Juvenile Justice sexual abuse lawsuit.

Those who were sexually abused by a juvenile justice employee are entitled to competition, but filing a lawsuit is a difficult process that you should not undertake without an attorney. Then again, the cost of hiring a lawyer is unaffordable for most people, which is why we are happy to offer a Zero Fee Guarantee. You pay $0 for us to represent you, since we only get paid by recovering your settlement and receiving a portion to cover our expenses. That means your finances are never at risk, so there’s nothing to stop you from reaching out to us for a free case evaluation.

Please contact our law firm and talk to a lawyer who can sue the Division of Juvenile Justice for child sexual abuse.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex Sexual Abuse Attorney
Placer County Probation Juvenile Detention Facility Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Lawsuit for Sexual Abuse at Juvenile Justice Center – San Leandro, CA