Cook County Jail Strip Search Class Action Settlement

The 4th Amendment of the United States Constitution reads, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

According to a class action lawsuit filed by several plaintiffs, Cook County law enforcement personnel violated the 4th Amendment by conducting invasive strip searches, before admitting inmates into Cook County jail. The class action lawsuit also asserts that Cook County Jail stripped searched men in groups, which violated the legal tenet of privacy.

Class action settlement documents show that if Cook County acquired money from its insurance company, then the claimants would receive additional compensation. The Cook County insurance company agreed to the class action settlement on May 9, 2017. Although the case settled out of court, Cook County jail officials continue to deny the allegations of strip searches and the invasion of privacy. Cook County settled the class action lawsuit to avoid the costs and uncertainty surrounding a protracted civil case.

What You Need To Know

Eligible class members who submitted a valid and timely claim form for the 2010 Young v. County of Cook class action settlement qualify to receive the additional payment acquired by Cook County Jail from its insurance company. If you want to contest to the new Cook County strip search class action settlement, you have until August 14, 2017 to file the proper paperwork.

The insurance company payment sets aside $32.5 million that the court will pay out using the pro rata formula. Pro rata means the amount of money eligible class members receive depends on the number of valid and timely claim forms submitted to the court. Moreover, the additional money also goes towards paying for court costs and attorney fees. The court will automatically pay eligible class members who submitted claim forms for the original class action lawsuit. You do not have to submit a second claim form to receive additional compensation.

The judge in the class action settlement case referred to as Young v. County of Cook, Case No. 06-cv-00552, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has scheduled the final hearing for the additional compensation on September 12, 2017. Follow updates for the class action settlement by visiting the website www.CookCountyStripSearch.com. Class counsel comprises a team of attorneys from Loevy & Loevy Attorneys at Law. Because the class action lawsuit settled in 2010, Cook County Jail did not require defense counsel to litigate the payment of additional compensation to the plaintiffs.