Articles Posted in California

Victims of sexual abuse or sexual assault are bringing civil lawsuits in California and getting significant settlements. Thanks to new changes in California law, it is now much easier for sex abuse victims to access the civil courts.

In this post, we will examine the process and laws related to sex abuse lawsuits in California. We will also examine the average settlement amounts of these cases and provide examples of settlements and jury payouts.

If you have a sex abuse case in California, contact us today.

Los Angeles County is at the center of one of the largest institutional child sexual abuse scandals in American history. Survivors of horrific abuse in juvenile halls and foster homes operated by the county have finally begun to see long-overdue justice after decades of silence, retaliation, and systemic neglect.

On April 29, 2025, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $4 billion settlement to resolve more than 6,800 claims of child sexual abuse spanning a period of over 60 years. This settlement is the largest of its kind in U.S. history, surpassing even the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts of America in total payout.

The lawsuits primarily center on abuse committed by county employees, probation officers, and foster care workers. Many of these acts occurred at juvenile detention centers such as Barry J. Nidorf, Central Juvenile Hall, Los Padrinos, and various probation camps. Thousands of survivors suffered in silence, only recently able to come forward due to new legal reforms in California.

The California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino is the state’s oldest women’s prison and one of its most troubled. Operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, CIW has long been plagued by overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and repeated allegations of sexual abuse by staff.

In recent years, former inmates have come forward describing sexual assault by correctional officers and predatory conduct during medical exams, including allegations against the prison’s longtime OB-GYN. Those revelations have led to civil sexual assault lawsuits, a federal investigation, and renewed scrutiny of how California prisons protect the women in their custody.

This page will look at civil lawsuits for sexual abuse of female prisoners at the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino. Inmates at CIW have been subjected to sexual abuse at the hands of correctional officers through threats and coercion. Many inmates have also been sexually abused by the prison OB-GYN during medical exams.

San Diego County’s juvenile detention system, including the former Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, has a documented history of sexual abuse, staff misconduct, and institutional failures that left minors vulnerable while in county custody.

For decades, youth held at these facilities were tragically abused by staff members and others in positions of authority, raising serious questions about supervision, oversight, and the county’s ability to protect children it was legally responsible for safeguarding.

Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, which operated for decades as San Diego County’s primary long-term juvenile hall, was under the control of the San Diego County Probation Department. Like other county-run juvenile facilities, it was required to meet basic constitutional standards and comply with laws designed to prevent sexual abuse, including the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Instead, internal reviews, complaints, and later investigations described an environment where reports of abuse were ignored or inadequately investigated, and where staff accused of misconduct were allowed continued access to detained youth.

This page will look at sex abuse lawsuits involving inmates at California juvenile detention center facilities and the potential settlement value of these cases. Recent investigations and reports have exposed the sad reality that child inmates in California’s juvenile detention centers are often victims of sexual abuse and assault by staff and other inmates.

Thanks to new laws in California, victims of sexual assault and abuse at juvenile facilities in California are now able to file civil sex abuse lawsuits against the state and its agencies for failing to protect them. Our firm is currently accepting California juvenile detention center sex abuse lawsuits.  There is a lot of talk about a global California detention center settlement very soon.  You do not want to be left out. Call us at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.

On this page, our national sex abuse lawyers explain what survivors of abuse at Kern County Juvenile Hall need to know about settlement amounts and potential compensation. For years, juveniles held in Kern County facilities were subjected to sexual abuse and assault at the hands of staff and, in some cases, other inmates. These cases are now coming to light, and survivors are pursuing civil lawsuits against Kern County for failing to protect children in its custody.

Our lawyers believe the settlement amounts in these cases will be substantial. Los Angeles County recently agreed to pay more than $4 billion to resolve juvenile hall sex abuse claims, with average payouts of nearly $600,000 per survivor. Kern County lawsuits may not reach that exact level, but the Los Angeles settlement set the benchmark for institutional abuse claims across California. Survivors in Kern County should expect meaningful compensation, even in older cases, as pressure builds on counties to resolve both timely and expired claims together.

If you have a potential sex abuse lawsuit involving Kern County Juvenile Hall, call our sex abuse lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.

Survivors of sexual abuse at Orange County Juvenile Hall can file individual civil lawsuits, usually anonymously, and seek settlement compensation. This page explains how these cases work, expected settlement amounts, how the statute of limitations applies (and does not apply)  in Orange County detention cases, and what evidence moves the needle with the County and its insurers. If you were abused at Orange County Juvenile Hall, call 800-553-8082 or contact us online for a confidential review.

If you have a potential sex abuse lawsuit involving Orange County Juvenile Detention Hall, call our California sex abuse lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.

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