In April 2025 the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $4 billion settlement of more than 6,800 claims of sexual abuse in county juvenile halls, probation camps, MacLaren Hall, and foster care, with abuse dating back to 1959. In October 2025 the county approved a second settlement of $828 million for 414 more plaintiffs. Survivors who were not part of either one keep asking the same question: is it too late for me? Usually, no.
What the settlements covered
The settlements resolved the claims of the people who were part of them: survivors who had filed under AB 218 and whose cases were included in the agreements. They did not settle anyone else’s claim, and they did not close the courthouse. Roughly 2,500 cases against the county were still pending when the second settlement was approved, and new cases continue to be filed.
Who can still file
Anyone who was sexually abused by staff, or by another youth where staff failed to supervise, while held in a Los Angeles County facility, and who is within California’s deadlines. For abuse before 2024, that generally means filing before age 40, or within the discovery window measured from the time you connected the abuse to the harm you live with now. For abuse on or after January 1, 2024, there is no deadline. A criminal record, an open case, or time in state prison does not disqualify you. Is it too late?
What to expect now
Two things have changed since the first settlement. First, the county and the District Attorney have scrutinized claims more closely; in 2026 the District Attorney asked the court to pause settlement payments while claims were verified, and the court denied that request in June 2026. A case built on records, not just a statement, is in a stronger position for that reason. Second, Senate Bill 577, signed September 30, 2026, requires survivors who are 40 or older suing a public entity to prove the county’s knowledge by clear and convincing evidence, and from January 1, 2027 it shortens the discovery window from five years to three. What SB 577 changed.
The facilities
We have gathered the public record on Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, Central Juvenile Hall, and MacLaren Hall. Probation camps and foster placements are covered too; the same law applies.
Talk to us
Call 877-428-4544 any time. The conversation is private and free, cases are filed under a Doe name, and there is no attorney fee and no costs unless we recover.
This article is general information about California law as of its date, not legal advice about your situation.
Talk privately with an attorney
We answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no cost and no obligation. Nothing is filed without your permission, and nothing you tell us leaves this office.
Talk privately with an attorney