Los Padrinos Sexual Abuse Attorney

Los Padrinos is a juvenile hall facility located in Downey, California. It serves as a place to house youth offenders before, during, and after adjudication (conviction), and while they wait to be placed in a facility that can better meet their needs. Los Padrinos has a troubled history of abuse and inmate riots, and was even closed temporarily in 2019 after an assault incident by 6 guards for dousing female residents with pepper spray.

Along with physical assault, teenagers at Los Padrinos may be sexually abused by staff members. These incidents occur at an alarming rate at juvenile halls and other residential centers for kids. If you were sexually assaulted, beaten, or abused in some other way at a juvenile hall, you may be entitled to monetary damages from the system that failed you. A Los Padrinos abuse attorney at our law firm can talk to you about your rights and help you decide if filing a lawsuit is in your best interest. All you have to do is contact us and receive a free case evaluation at a time that’s convenient for you.

Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements

Sexual Assault against Minors in Juvenile Halls

Currently, Los Angeles County is in charge of 21 youth detention facilities, making it the largest juvenile justice system in America. That means they are in charge of thousands of underage inmates, who are depending on county employees to provide them with guidance, structure, and compassionate treatment. In reality, quite a few of these workers are there for a different purpose – to exploit and abuse children for the purpose of sexual gratification.

What’s even worse is that many of these offenders try to downplay the nature of their crimes or blame the victim, as if children are on equal footing with adults when it comes to sexual consent. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard statements like the following from predatory employees at a juvenile hall:

• I was just groping her breasts for a few seconds, but she came on to me first.
• He agreed to oral sex in exchange for extra privileges, so I didn’t rape him.
• I never touched her; we only exchanged a few nude pics back and forth.

First and foremost, the concept of consent does not exist for individuals under 18 years old under California law. That means any kind of sexual relations or exchanges with a minor is considered sexual abuse, and the adult is fully to blame. And yes, it’s possible that a teenager will develop a crush on an adult and flirt with them – maybe even proposition them – but it’s the adult’s legal responsibility to set boundaries and avoid words and actions that can be viewed as sexually inappropriate.

Of course, there are many cases where a juvenile inmate is forcibly assaulted or blackmailed into sex. However, many incidents are more subtle in nature, and take place after an extended period of grooming. We want to make it clear that sexual activity between juvenile hall employees and inmates is against the law under any circumstance, and you have the right to seek criminal prosecution, along with monetary damages for the harm you suffered.

To ensure that you are aware of your rights as a sex abuse victim, contact our office and speak to a Los Padrinos Sexual assault attorney.

Can I Sue for being Sexually Abused at Los Padrinos?

Yes, you can file a lawsuit if you were subjected to sexual abuse while you were detained at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, California. The bigger issue is, figuring out who you can sue based on their liability for what has happened to you. Essentially, most incidents of institutional rape and other forms of sexual assault are ignored or enabled by the facility administrators. The agency in charge of overseeing the juvenile detention center may also be to blame, as they are usually aware of child abuse and other inappropriate conduct within these facilities.

That’s why these lawsuits typically name the County of Los Angeles as a defendant, along with the perpetrator and officials at the juvenile hall. Frankly, it’s disturbing how much these agencies knew about the abuse going on at these places, yet very little was done to protect the minors who were beaten, harassed, and sexually assaulted on a regular basis. And yes, the person that’s directly responsible is a probation officer, doctor, or some other adult that works for the juvenile justice system. But there are specific actions that must be taken by the higher ups when there are complaints or suspicions of abusive behavior towards children.

Sadly, these places go to great lengths to protect their reputation and the people working for them. Complaints are ignored or allowed to “slip through the cracks.” Even if the victim or their family is persistent, the county probation office will pressure them into a low settlement or simply move the offender to a different juvenile hall – which means they can go on to sexually abuse other children.

There’s no denying that these lawsuits are complicated, and achieving justice will take time and effort. But your chances for a successful outcome increase dramatically when you have a Los Padrinos sexual abuse attorney by your side. Contact us and schedule a free case review, so that we can advise you of the available legal options.

What about a Class Action Lawsuit?

With so many victims coming forward within the past few months, it’s only a matter of time before a Los Padrinos sexual abuse class action lawsuit is established. Class actions are an effective solution for many victims to come together and demand justice from the same defendant. These cases generally have favorable outcomes for the victims, as it’s hard to deny accusations of abuse when so many people are making the same allegations.

However, it’s important to note that a class action is not appropriate for everyone. Some cases have very complex circumstances, including the injuries and/or trauma to the victim. In these situations, it may not be in the victim’s best interest to join a Los Padrinos sexual abuse class action lawsuit. Instead, filing a personal injury lawsuit for childhood sexual abuse may be for the best.

As for the road you should take, that’s something you will have to decide on your own. Our job is to provide you with advice and guidance, so that you can make the best possible choice. For a free consultation with a Los Padrinos class action lawsuit attorney, please give us a call.

Is There a Deadline to File a Los Padrinos Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?

Yes, all lawsuits for the sexual abuse of minors have a strict deadline, which is known as the statute of limitations. But this time period can be tricky to figure out, as California has two standards for how the deadline for a lawsuit is determined. Basically, you must file a lawsuit for juvenile hall sexual assault by one of these dates:

• By your 40

  th

  birthday, or 22 years from the time you turn 18 years old.

• Within 5 years from the time you discover the impact of sexual abuse through counseling, diagnosis of physical injury, new evidence, etc.

The 5-year discovery rule is something a lot of clients have questions about, and we admit that this is a complicated subject. In essence, it has to do with the fact that many victims of sex abuse during childhood are unaware of what is happening to them. Even if they know it’s wrong, their minds are unable to process the events, and as a result, they will repress these memories for many years. A good number of our clients, for example, were able to confront these issues for the first time with help from a therapist that specializes in child abuse.

Don’t worry if you are still confused about the timeline to file a lawsuit for being sexually assaulted at Los Padrinos. By contacting us, you will receive assistance from a lawyer who can sue Los Padrinos within the statute of limitations for sexual assault at a juvenile hall.

Average Value of a Los Padrinos Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Having a sense of the amount you can recover is crucial to the lawsuit process, and that’s why people often contact us to ask about average case values. The problem is that “average” is not a word that applies to settlement values, which are based on many factors that are unique to each case. If we had to make some generalizations, we would say these are high value cases – probably among the highest when it comes to personal injury lawsuits.

For child sex abuse claims against government entities, settlements are likely to exceed $1,000,000. Even on the lower end, payments are usually $500,000 and up, and on the higher end, you can expect to see settlements and jury awards of $3,000,000 or more. As for the issues that that will affect the value of a Los Padrinos abuse lawsuit, here are some examples:

• The specific acts of sexual abuse (inappropriate touching, intercourse, retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment and assault, etc.) 
• The extent of the victim’s physical and emotional injuries
• The duration of sexual abuse (how long it went on / was allowed to go on due to negligence by higher ups)

• Actions or lack thereof by Los Padrinos administrators and the Los Angeles County Probation Department, such as bribery, concealing evidence and failing to contact the authorities.

As you can see, monetary damages from a lawsuit is a complicated subject, which we will need to discuss with you during a free, confidential case evaluation. Contact us today and schedule a time to meet with a childhood sexual assault lawyer.

How Long Do These Cases Take on Average?

As with case values, the word “average” is not something that applies to how long it takes to reach a settlement. As someone that was sexually abused at Los Padrinos, we understand the need to settle your case as fast as possible, so that you can put this horrible incident behind you. But the timeline largely depends on factors that are beyond our control.

Due to many complications that we are likely to encounter, these cases often take 1 or more years. Granted, it’s possible that a fair settlement will be offered within a few months, but this will not happen for the vast majority of cases. At the end of the day, government agencies will do their best to avoid liability and place the blame solely on the perpetrator. Of course, this is the person that’s technically responsible for your harm and suffering. But as we’ve said before, Los Padrinos assault cases generally involve some degree of negligence or misconduct by agency officials.

In the event that we are unable to negotiate a settlement, it’s possible that your case will go to trial. Keep in mind that this only happens in about 5% of all lawsuits. But if it were to happen, 2 or more years may be needed to resolve your case through a jury verdict.

We know that waiting for justice can be a long and frustrating process for those who are struggling with the lifelong effects of child sexual assault. While we can’t promise immediate results, you can count on us to fight tirelessly on your behalf and bring you the settlement you deserve. To discuss your case with a Los Padrinos sexual molestation lawyer, contact our law firm.

The Los Padrinos Sexual Abuse Lawyers of Normandie

All children have the right to fair and compassionate treatment that’s free of abusive behaviors like physical and sexual abuse. Unfortunately, these incidents take place on a frequent basis in juvenile detention centers throughout California. The Los Padrinos abuse lawyers of Normandie have a proven track of record of recovery on behalf of adult survivors of child sexual abuse. We are more than ready to listen to your story and provide aggressive representation if you choose to proceed with a juvenile hall sexual assault lawsuit.

All clients receive a Zero Fee Guarantee on their case from the very first consultation. What does this mean? Basically, you won’t ever have to worry about the cost of hiring an attorney, since we work on contingency. Our payment is based on winning your case and receiving a portion of your settlement to cover our expenses. And if we fail to bring you compensation from a juvenile hall abuse lawsuit, you owe us absolutely nothing.

A Los Padrinos sexual assault lawyer is waiting to speak with you, so don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation on your rights and legal options.

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