Settlement Structure: Claims Made
Active: Closed
Closed Settlement Statement:
According to court documents, the claim submission deadline has passed. Please contact the claims administrator if you have any questions.
Case Summary:Rutherford County, Tennessee is settling a consolidated class actions alleging it maintained de facto policies involving false arrests and wrongful detention of certain juveniles. The complaint alleged that Rutherford County had violated state laws in de facto policies of (a) requiring juveniles charged with a juvenile or unruly offense be taken into custody and taken to Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center (RCJDC) and (b) placing juveniles in secure detention under circumstances that did not warrant it.
Docket Number:3:17-cv-1014
Company: Rutherford County TN
Filing Deadline: October 29, 2021
Class Period: October 14, 2015 to June 21, 2021
Objection Deadline: October 4, 2021
Exclusion Deadline: October 4, 2021
Final Approval Hearing: December 3, 2021
Proof of Purchase:You do not have to provide proof. Presumably county records will be used for verification.
Eligibility:You may be eligible if you are a member of either of the classes below:
- The Arrest Class is all those who were taken into custody by a Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputy and taken to the RCJDC for a juvenile or unruly misdemeanor delinquent offense, (a) who were born on or after July 26, 1998, or the custody occurred on or after July 26, 2016, and (b) if certain other circumstances were present.
- The Detention Class is all those who were detained at the RCJDC before a Juvenile Court detention hearing on a juvenile delinquent or unruly charge, (a) who were born on or after October 14, 1997 or the detention occurred at any time between October 14, 2015 and June 21, 2021, and (b) if certain other circumstances were present.
For further details, see the Notice at https://www.rutherfordjuvenilesettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Notice.pdf.
Typical Settlement Amount:Benefits: (1) Arrest Class: Estimated at $1,000 per valid arrest claim. (2) Detention Class: Estimated at $4,800 per valid detention claim. Final amounts may be more or less depending on the number of valid claims received. Claimants can submit both arrest and detention claim forms. Those with multiple arrests and detentions can submit separate claim forms for each arrest or detention.
Total Settlement Amount: $11,000,000
Class Representative Proposed Incentive Fee:$25,000 each
Law Firm:
Brazil Clark, PLLC
Claim Form: Rutherford County Arrest and Detention of Juveniles Settlement Claim Forms
Case Name: K.W., et al. v. Rutherford County
Settlement Website: Rutherford County Arrest and Detention of Juveniles Settlement Website
Claims Administrator:
Settlement Services, Inc.
Geerts v. Rutherford County
Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 10584
Tallahassee, FL 32302-2584