Los Angeles County has reached a tentative $828 million settlement of over 400 additional childhood sexual abuse cases filed under California's AB 218 law. This marks the second major agreement involving decades-old abuse allegations in county-run facilities, following a $4 billion settlement approved in April 2025. The latest settlement involves lawsuits over abuse of juvenile offenders who were housed in county probation facilities.
Manly, Stewart & Finaldi partner Courtney M. Thom is liaison counsel for the lawsuits stemming from Camp Joseph Scott and other facilities. Those cases are assigned to Judge Lawrence P. Riff. The lead case was scheduled to go to trial before the end of this year. That date appears to have been removed from the docket. Jane BP1-B Doe, et al. vs Doe 1, et al.; 22STCV25961 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed Aug. 11, 2022).
Name partner John C. Manly said he did not want to comment until the county approves the settlement. Manly in August called for a federal criminal investigation of the sex abuse allegations in L.A. county's juvenile facilities going back decades.
Other firms involved in the settlement are Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team LLP; and Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP, whose attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.
Lawsuits in the $4 billion settlement that county supervisors approved stemming from abuses at the MacLaren Hall foster care facility are assigned to Judge Elaine Lu. Jane Doe 1 et al. v. County of Los Angeles, 21STCV20949...
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