Filed Date: March 5, 2010
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
On March 5, 2010, two female former inmates who were imprisoned in the Century Regional Detention Facility ("CRDF"), a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department ("LASD") facility, filed this class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Represented by a civil rights law firm, the plaintiffs sued the LASD under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The plaintiffs alleged violations of their Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights, as well as their equivalents under the California Constitution. Specifically, the plaintiffs claimed that CRDF female inmates were routinely subjected to degrading strip and body cavity searches at the CRDF without probable cause or individualized suspicion.
On October 22, 2010, the plaintiffs filed a motion to certify class. On February 28, 2011, the LASD moved to dismiss this suit, claiming that the plaintiffs had failed to exhaust their claims as required by the Prison Litigation Reform Act ("PLRA"). The complaint was amended on January 28, 2011, to add five additional former and current CRDF inmates as named plaintiffs. However, on December 27, 2011, District Judge Stephen V. Wilson moved this case to the inactive calendar, pending the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Burlington, 132 S.Ct. 1510 (2012), another case involving strip searches, which Judge Wilson believed could affect the viability of relevant precedent.
On April 2, 2012, the Supreme Court decided in Florence that if a prisoner was about to be housed in a jail's general population, no individualized suspicion was required, no matter how minor the arrest offense. Following this decision, on December 19, 2012, Judge Wilson issued an order moving this case back to the active calendar. In addition, Judge Wilson denied the defendant's motion to dismiss, finding that the LASD did not demonstrate sufficient grievance procedures as required by the PLRA. Judge Wilson also determined that the court would rule on the plaintiffs' motion to certify class after the defendants filed their motion for summary judgment. 2012 WL 12878313, C.D. Cal. However, on January 9, 2013, after the plaintiffs requested the court reconsider its decision to defer ruling on the pending motion to certify class, Judge Wilson issued a new order allowing the plaintiffs to re-file their motion to certify class in light of evidence gathered during discovery.
On June 10, 2013, the plaintiffs re-filed their motion to certify class. On March 12, 2014, Judge Wilson granted the plaintiff's request for class certification under Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(b)(2), but denied their request for class certification under Rule 23(b)(3) (299 F.R.D. 618). The court also allowed the plaintiffs to file a renewed motion to certify a damages class on the issue on liability pursuant to Rule 23(c)(4).
On May 19, 2014, the plaintiffs filed a renewed motion to certify class, requesting that the court certify a Rule 23(c)(4) liability class. In addition, the plaintiffs requested that the court reconsider its denial of the plaintiffs' request for Rule 23(b)(3) class certification. As an alternative to this Rule 23(b)(3) reconsideration, the plaintiffs requested that the court certify subclasses under Rule 23(c)(4) on the basis of differing conditions of abuse, privacy, sanitation, and weather during the alleged illegal strip searches. On December 18, 2014, Judge Wilson issued an order granting a Rule 23(c)(4) issue class for the purpose of liability, as well as subclass certification. However, the court denied the plaintiffs' request for Rule 23(b)(3) class certification and all other subclass certifications. 2014 WL 10044904.
On November 18, 2016 (2016 WL 8904537, C.D. Cal.), the court certified an additional two classes as (c)(4) issue classes, despite not certifying the (c)(4) classes in a July 26, 2016 order (2016 WL 6804910, C.D.Cal.). These new classes consisted of a class consisting of women who experienced simultaneous searches and a class consisting of women who experienced one-line-at-a-time searches. 2016 WL 8904537, C.D. Cal.
The plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint on December 2, 2016, and a fourth amended complaint on December 19.
On June 7, 2017, the court issued an order regarding summary judgment motions from both parties. The court granted the defendants' motion, dismissing claims of liability against individual defendants acting as individuals due to qualified immunity. The court also granted the plaintiff's motion, finding that because the defendants had not provided evidence to establish why they conducted searches in the manner that they did when alternatives existed, the plaintiffs' Fourth Amendment rights were violated. 2017 WL 9472901, C.D. Cal.
The parties then engaged in mediation. The plaintiffs submitted a preliminary settlement agreement for $53 million on July 16, 2019, but Judge Wilson did not approve this settlement in a September 23, 2019 hearing. His objection to the settlement centered on the creation of a $3 million fund to finance contracts with Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations and for-profit groups to “develop a strengthened model of gender-responsive policy and operational practice at all LASD facilities that house female inmates.” He said that since there was a potential for many claimants to come forward demanding compensation in this case, such a fund should not be established unless there is money left over once all members of the class seeking compensation come forward.
The plaintiffs submitted an amended settlement agreement for the same amount, but removing the fund, on October 31, 2019. Judge Wilson granted preliminary approval to this settlement on November 7, and set a fairness hearing for July 20, 2020, once class members could reasonably be notified.
On January 6, 2020, the third party class administrator began sending notices to the class of 94,857 members.
On March 6, 2020, a member of the class, filing pro se, objected to the approval of the preliminary settlement agreement, arguing the settlement recovery was “miniscule.” The class member opted out of the settlement proceeds, but declined to opt out of class membership. The objector proposed that the class administrator should calculate the damages for each class member and allow them another opt-out period once they learned their damages amount.
As of July 6, 2020, the administrator received almost 40,000 claims and approved 25,528, an “especially high claims rate for this area of class litigation.” In this light, the court granted final approval of the settlement in an August 11, 2020 opinion. Judge Wilson awarded plaintiffs’ counsel the standard 25 percent fee award, resulting in $13,250,000 in fees and $379,839 in costs. He evaluated the objecting class member’s concerns and found the settlement to be fair nonetheless. 2020 WL 5628938.
The court declared the objecting class member an opt-out on August 26, 2020. On September 10, 2020, the objector filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit. In response, the class action plaintiffs filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction on October 1. The court summarily granted the motion on February 12, 2021. 2021 WL 1037119. The objector petitioned the Supreme Court for certiorari and was denied on October 4, 2021. 142 S.Ct. 109.
As of February 13, 2025, the third and final round of settlement checks is being distributed to the class.
Summary Authors
John He (10/4/2015)
Virginia Weeks (3/25/2018)
Ellen Aldin (5/22/2020)
Terry Howard (1/3/2023)
Venesa Haska (11/14/2023)
Connor Mulvena (2/14/2025)
Bull v. City and County of San Francisco, Northern District of California (2003)
Florence v. County of Burlington, District of New Jersey (2005)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4145588/parties/mary-amador-v-leroy-d-baca/
Adams, Peter M (California)
Adli, Dariush G (California)
Aguado, Carmen M (California)
Allen, Michael D (California)
Allen, Matthew Philip (California)
Allen, Matthew Philip (California)
Allensworth, R Bruce (California)
Altagen, Robert S (California)
Alter, Valerie Elizabeth (California)
Altman, Jonathan E (California)
Arce, Elizabeth Tom (California)
Armstrong, Bradley R (California)
Atkinson, Theodore William (California)
Auxier, Joshua M. (California)
Averbuck, Clayton C (California)
Bangerter, Jarom B (California)
Bartell, Randy S. (California)
Beall, Kelly Andrew (California)
Bechtel, Matthew T (California)
Beitchman, David P (California)
Bentz, Tamany Vinson (California)
Bernard, Daniel J. (California)
Bernstein, Daniel R (California)
Blasser, William Nicholas (California)
Bolnick, Joseph Scott (California)
Bookman, Lloyd Alan (California)
Brand, Alexander Michael (California)
Brawley, James L. (California)
Brennan, Robert Francis (California)
Brenner, Jonathan M (California)
Bridges, Summer L (California)
Burgee, John Gerard (California)
Burhenn, David William (California)
Bustos, Oscar Andres (California)
Byers, Adrienne M (California)
Cannizzo, Craig J (California)
Cantrall, Melinda L (California)
Cappello, Jody N. (California)
Carlos, Debbie Caroline (California)
Carpenter, Scott Rockwell (California)
Castro-Silva, Rodrigo A (California)
Charles, Stephanie (California)
Chavos, Anthony Gregory (California)
Chevalier, Alisa M (California)
Chilleen, Michael J (California)
Christovich, Jeffrey J (California)
Cianfrani, Joseph S (California)
Cislo, Daniel Miles (California)
Clare, Andrew Steven (California)
Clifford, Robert Scot (California)
Coates, Timothy Towery (California)
Cohen, Michael Navid (California)
Cohen, Nancy Sher (California)
Colvin, Roger Allen (California)
Conti, Alexander L (California)
Cook, Philip Earl (California)
Dean, Kamille Rae (California)
DeBoskey, Geoffrey D (California)
Devlin-Brown, Arlo (California)
Disenhouse, Bruce Emery (California)
Donovan, David Patrick (California)
Drossel, Danielle Francine (California)
Dugdale, Robert E (California)
Dunkerly, Erin Renee (California)
Dunlap, Kasey Folk (California)
Eastus, Matthew P (California)
Ebelhar, Melinda W (California)
Edwards, Steven G (California)
Ellingstad, Susan E (California)
Ellyatt, Patricia E (California)
Epstein, Mark Howard (California)
Everton, Benjamin J (California)
Feldman, Mark Allen (California)
Fernald, Brandon C (California)
Finson, Lowell Wayne (California)
Fleming, Kyle Bradford (California)
Fontana, Aaron Mitchell (California)
Forman, Michael H (California)
Frieman, Davida M (California)
Frontera, Nicholas E (California)
Gallo, Valerie Nicole (California)
Gasparian, Christina (California)
Gastelum, Denisse O (California)
Gebelin, Steven Thomas (California)
Gest, Howard David (California)
Ghaltchi, Michelle B (California)
Gonzales, Dennis Michael (California)
Gonzalez, Jason P (California)
Gordon, Anthony B. (California)
Gost, Kimberly Jeanne (California)
Gottfried, Jonathan L (California)
Gottlieb, Ira Lawrence (California)
Grady, Jennifer Ann (California)
Graham, Taylor B. (California)
Gregorio, Sherry M (California)
Gross, Gary Philip (California)
Gross, Stephanie A (California)
Gubernick, Deborah Ann (California)
Guerrero, Gaillard D (California)
Guterres, Tomas A (California)
Gutierrez, Robert S (California)
Gysler, Jennifer E (California)
Haist, Frederick A (California)
Hardy, Samantha D (California)
Harris, Mitchell R. (California)
Harrison, Dawyn Renae (California)
Hart, Douglas Roger (California)
Harvey, Ryan Douglas (California)
Hassaram, Dorothy L (California)
Hershman, Brian D (California)
Hildreth, Brian T (California)
Hirschhorn, Russell Laurence (California)
Hoffstadt, Brian M (California)
Holbrow, Willmore F (California)
Hollenbeck, Linda Tracey (California)
Holmes, Michelle Marie (California)
Holmgren-Ganz, Laura L (California)
Hurevitz, Linda B (California)
Hurley, Gregory F (California)
Hurrell, Thomas C (California)
Jacobson, Jeffrey S (California)
Jamgotchian, Ronda D (California)
Jensen, Stephen C (California)
Jones, William H. (California)
Jr, Robert Elliot (California)
Jr, Frumencio Reyes (California)
Jr, Lindbergh Porter (California)
Jubelt, Mark LaRue (California)
Kaloustian, Mariam (California)
Kaminski, David J (California)
Karlsgodt, Paul G. (California)
Katskee, Richard B (California)
Keville, Jordan Brian (California)
Kim, Christopher Taewoo (California)
Kirkland, James Eric (California)
Kizzie, Antonio K (California)
Kleinberg, Pamela Leigh (California)
Koulloukian, Nazo Leon (California)
Kowalchyk, Dean Clinton (California)
Kristensen, John P (California)
Kronstadt, Kenneth David (California)
Lagarias, Peter Clark (California)
Lallas, Tom Peter (California)
Lambert, Thomas P. (California)
LaMons, Eric Brian (California)
Langton, Joseph Anthony (California)
Larsen, Nathan D. (California)
Lawless, Mark Joseph (California)
Lawrence, David D. (California)
Ledingham, Shawn Scott (California)
Leimkuhler, Bradley J (California)
LeMeilleur, Payson (California)
Lesowitz, Scott Michael (California)
Levine, Aaron Matthew (California)
Lipscomb, Robert D (California)
lll, Forrest Arthur (California)
Lovrien, Christopher J (California)
Luongo, Natalie Ursula (California)
Mabry, Donald Lee (California)
Mallett, Andrew Michael (California)
Maoz, David Steven (California)
Maranga, Kenneth A (California)
Marquart, Jaime W (California)
Marra, Joseph Vincent (California)
Martinelli, Lisa Ann (California)
Mathers, Catherine Mason (California)
Mathew, Abraham P (California)
McCaverty, Jonathan C (California)
McCawley, Sigrid Stone (California)
McCord, Stacey Elise (California)
McQuaid, Carrie Ann (California)
Merced, Gilberto Figueroa (Puerto Rico)
Metzger, Morgan Ashleigh (California)
Miller, Bradley J. (California)
Millman, Robert F (California)
Morales, Edward J (California)
Motooka, Marjorie E (California)
Mueller, Jason Erik (California)
Murillo, Tiana J. (California)
Murphy, Rye (Ryan) (California)
Musco, Joseph Michael (California)
Nehoray, Siamak E (California)
Neudecker, James M (California)
Newdorf, David Blake (California)
Nguyen, Lan Phuong (California)
Nicolas, Marlene Maria (California)
Nishimura, Gilbert M (California)
Oki, Kelly Nicole (California)
Owens, Danielle W. (California)
Paegel, Nelle Schruben (California)
Paige, Adrianna C (California)
Palagi, Jennifer K (California)
Pastan, Nicholas O (California)
Pence, Richard M. (California)
Pendley, Paul Edward (California)
Peterson, John Francis (California)
Peterson, George E (California)
Philibosian, Robert Harry (California)
Phillips, Shannon E (California)
Piccininni, Patrick J. (California)
Pinta, Christine M (California)
Prairie, Nicole R (California)
Quigley, William P (California)
Ramirez, Eugene P (California)
Rawcliffe, Andrew C (California)
Reynolds, Roland P (California)
Robinson, Jeffrey A (California)
Rodriguez, Robert C (California)
Rolon, Millicent L (California)
Rothken, Ira Perry (California)
Russell, Howard Darryl (California)
Russo, Stephanie N (California)
Scheibe, Benjamin D (California)
Schiedermayer, Ryan David (California)
Schlecter, Blair L (California)
Schwartz, Jennifer (California)
Schwartz, Jeremy Robert (California)
Selmont, Russell Matthew (California)
Shalhoub, George J (California)
Sheehan, Cristin E. (California)
Sheeran, Patrick E. (California)
Sheldon, Geoffrey S (California)
Shelton, MyKhanh P (California)
Simon, Daniel Jordan (California)
Skelton, Timothy L (California)
Smith, MacKenzie Cameron (California)
Sobelsohn, Daniel E (California)
Spieker, Meghan O'Ryan (California)
Stockley, Jeffery E (California)
Sullivan, James I. (California)
Sullivan, William F (California)
Swiss, Christie Bodnar (California)
Tabah, Elvin-Mathias (California)
Tahmassebi, Amir R. (California)
Tauler, Robert R. (California)
Terwilliger, Molly A (California)
Thibodeaux, Lauren Dana (California)
Tilly, Darcie Allison (California)
Tinkham, Nicole Amber (California)
Traber, Theresa M (California)
Trope, Konrad Lytell (California)
Umhofer, Matthew Donald (California)
Valenzuela, Ronald A. (California)
Vandale, Leslie F (California)
Vergara, Catalina J (California)
Walker, Elizabeth Lee (California)
Wang, Songfong Tommy (California)
Westerfeld, Bryan Scott (California)
Wickham, Douglas A (California)
Wilens, Jeffrey N (California)
Wilkinson, Clay R (California)
Winston, Lynette Gridiron (California)
Winter, Douglas D (California)
Witkow, Erin Cranman (California)
Woodward, Terry A (California)
Woolf, Chaim Jacob (California)
Yahwak, Joshua Aaron (California)
Yee, Theodore Oliver (California)
Yoo, S Christopher (California)
Youngerman, Stephen G (California)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4145588/mary-amador-v-leroy-d-baca/
Last updated Jan. 11, 2026, 4:22 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Multi-LexSum (in sample)
Post-WalMart decisions on class certification
Strip Search Cases
Key Dates
Filing Date: March 5, 2010
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Former female inmates who were imprisoned in the Century Regional Detention Facility, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department facility.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Kaye, McLane, Bednarski & Litt
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Los Angeles, Los Angeles), County
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Unreasonable search and seizure
Other Dockets:
Central District of California 2:10-cv-01649
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 20-55965
Supreme Court of the United States 20-01757
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff OR Mixed
Relief Granted:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Amount Defendant Pays: $53,000,000
Issues
General/Misc.:
Sanitation / living conditions
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Sex/Gender(s):
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Assault/abuse by staff (facilities)
Sex w/ staff; sexual harassment by staff
Strip search policy (facilities)
Policing: