Sylmar Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse Attorney

Sylmar Juvenile Hall, also known as Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, is a youth detention center located at 16350 Filbert St, Sylmar CA 91342. This facility serves as a “holding unit” for juveniles while they wait for a court hearing. Ultimately, the child will be released to their parents / guardians, placed in foster care, or sent to one of many juvenile halls throughout Los Angeles County.

While Sylmar is a temporary holding facility, many inmates are there for weeks or months at a time. As a result, they are vulnerable to abusive treatment by a probation officer, social worker, administrator, and others that work for the Los Angeles County Probation Department. In particular, sexual abuse occurs on a frequent basis at juvenile halls, and the offenders, along with those who enable them, must be held accountable by the justice system.

Were you a victim of rape, attempted rape, inappropriate touching, or another form of sexual assault while staying at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall? As a victim of child sexual abuse, you may have grounds to file a civil lawsuit and receive compensation for the harm you’ve suffered. To explore your rights and legal options, contact the Sylmar Juvenile Hall sexual abuse lawyers of Normandie Law Firm.

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What Does it Mean to be Sexually Abused at a Juvenile Hall?

This question may appear to have a simple answer, but it’s important to understand the distinction between sexual abuse against minors versus adults. The most important element here is consent, which means you are giving permission for something to take place, like sexual activity. As a whole, we generally recognize that underage individuals lack the intellectual and emotional capacity to understand sex and all its possible ramifications. According to California law, the age of consent is 18, so anyone under this age cannot give informed consent when it comes to intercourse, oral sex, exchanging explicit photos, or any other sexual act.

So, let’s apply this definition to cases of sexual abuse at a juvenile hall. Clearly, there are incidents where a female or male detainee is forcibly assaulted. This includes rape and more subtle acts of coercion, like blackmail (threatening to add more time to a sentence, for example). But many of the victims we represent have been groomed by juvenile hall employees over weeks or months.

A common example involves a troubled teen who lashes out due to the lack of a father figure. While she is incarcerated at a juvenile facility, she develops a close relationship with a mental health counselor. Over time, his friendliness escalates into physical contact, which seems innocent at first. Eventually, he moves on to groping her breasts and forcing her into various sexual acts.

Many of our clients are confused at first as to whether they were actually abused. But here is a fact that is irrefutable under the law: as a minor, you are not to blame for a sexual relationship between you and an adult. It’s the adult that’s responsible in these cases, and even if you had a crush on the person, you allowed the groping to happen, etc., these acts are considered sexual assault when they are committed against anyone under the age of consent.

This is very important to understand if you were sexually abused at Sylmar Juvenile Hall. If you were taken advantage of in a sexual manner at a California juvenile hall, please take a moment to contact our law firm. A childhood sexual assault lawyer can answer any questions you have and help you determine the best way to move forward.

Can I File a Sylmar Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?

Yes, you can file a lawsuit for sexual abuse against Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall for monetary damages, such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium. However, you will need to figure out which parties you can sue, as various entities may be responsible when a child is sexually abused at a juvenile detention facility.

The obvious party at fault is the person that committed the assault. But what about that individual’s supervisors, like the warden and other administrators at Sylmar Juvenile Hall? Then, we have to go one step further and examine the government agency in charge of juvenile halls in Los Angeles County. Through many years of representing institutional sex abuse victims, we know that most of these agencies had prior knowledge of abuse allegations against certain employees. Yet, they chose to bury these reports and put up barriers that make it difficult for the victim and their loved ones to prove a case for sexual abuse at a juvenile hall.

Lack of appropriate actions by the county often serve as the basis for a Sylmar Juvenile Hall sexual assault lawsuit. But it’s very hard to succeed in these cases without expert knowledge of the laws and the justice system. And you can count on these agencies to blame the perpetrator and deny that they are liable for the actions of a specific employee. Sadly, many childhood sexual abuse victims fall for these tactics and give up on the idea of filing a lawsuit. Or, they will agree to accept a settlement offer that is far below what they actually deserve. In return, they must sign a liability waiver that forbids them from any kind of legal action against the facility or the agency in charge, which is frankly another form of abuse against these victims.

At the end of the day, there’s no way to deny that these are complex lawsuits, and the road to justice will have many ups and downs. That’s why it’s essential to retain a Sylmar Juvenile Hall abuse attorney as soon as possible. An experienced sexual abuse lawyer will take care of all communications between you and the county and ensure that you receive everything you deserve by law from a Sylmar Juvenile Hall sexual abuse claim.

What is the Deadline to Sue if I was Sexually Assaulted at Sylmar Juvenile Hall?

All lawsuits filed in the civil courts are subject to a statute of limitations, which is the amount of time you have to seek compensation from the negligent party. These deadlines are fairly straightforward in most cases, but that’s not the case with claims involving child sexual abuse.

Generally, you have 22 years after turning 18, i.e., your 40

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birthday, to file a Sylmar Juvenile Hall abuse lawsuit. But some people repress memories of sexual abuse because they are unable to accept or process what is happening to them. As a result, some of them are unable to deal with the abuse they suffered until many years after the fact. These people may have exceeded their 40

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birthday by the time they realize the effects of sexual abuse, most likely with help from a psychiatric professional. For these individuals, they have up to 5 years from the date of discovery to file a lawsuit, ideally with guidance from a Sylmar Juvenile Hall sexual molestation lawyer.

How to File a Sylmar Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse Class Action Lawsuit

Class actions are common when it comes to sexual abuse incidents in a juvenile hall. After all, these facilities are home to countless residents over a period of 50 or more years. Thus, it’s more than likely that there are hundreds of victims who were sexually assaulted at a California juvenile hall.

It can be quite efficient, not to mention – effective – for these victims to file a Sylmar Juvenile Hall sexual abuse class action lawsuit. With so many similar stories of abuse, the defendant will have a harder time denying their role in the events, and as a result, these cases are almost always ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.

But even with these benefits, it’s worth noting that class actions are not appropriate for every situation. Based on your injuries (physical and emotional harm) and other circumstances in your case, filing a personal injury claim on your own may be the better option. As you can see, there is a lot to consider before you can make an informed decision on how to proceed with a case for sexual assault at a youth detention center. That’s why we are happy to offer you a free consultation with a Sylmar Juvenile Hall class action lawsuit attorney, which you can schedule by contacting our office.

How Much is a Sylmar Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Worth?

While money doesn’t take away the trauma of sexual abuse during childhood, it’s a way to recover the losses you’ve suffered through no fault of your own. That’s why having an understanding of what you are entitled to from a lawsuit is essential if you are a victim of sexual assault at Sylmar Juvenile Hall. One thing we want to stress is that there is no such thing as an average case value. The total amount you can receive is based on the physical and emotional trauma you’ve experienced, and this is different than what other victims have gone through.

However, we would say that lawsuits for the sexual abuse of minors are highly valuable cases, and many of the settlements exceed $1,500,000. Even with claims that are worth less, it’s quite common to see payments of $500,000 or more, which is based on a variety of factors, including:

• The severity of psychological damage and/or physical injuries to the victim

• The acts of abuse that took place (rape, sodomy, sexual groping, sexting, etc.)

• How long the abuse took place (how many weeks/ months/ years)

• Degree of liability by the defendant, including juvenile hall supervisors and LA County Probation officials

These are issues that you will need to discuss with a Sylmar Juvenile Hall sexual abuse attorney. That way, you can determine a case value that truly reflects the impact these incidents have had on your life. If you are in need of a lawyer who can sue Sylmar Juvenile Hall on your behalf, please give us a call.

How Long will My Case Take to Settle?

It can take around several months to over 2 years to settle a

 Sylmar Juvenile Hall assault lawsuit. We know this is a long period to wait for justice, but unfortunately, lawsuits can take considerable time to resolve. This is particularly true with claims of sexual abuse at government institutions, and even more so when the victim is underage.

If we had to pin down a timeframe, we generally expect these cases to take 1 or more years from start to finish. That includes the time needed to conduct an investigation, discuss a settlement strategy, and negotiate a fair amount of damages with the defendant. It’s rare that the initial offer from these agencies will be anything close to a reasonable amount, and getting to that point takes at least a few exchanges of offers and counteroffers.

What happens if we’ve been negotiating for months and we are no closer to a settlement? In that case, we may have to take our chances in court, meaning we will need to schedule a hearing date. However, most of these claims – over 95%, in fact – are eventually settled before the trial date. In the unlikely event that a trial is required, the process of resolving a Sylmar Juvenile Hall sex abuse claim can take up to several years.

If you would like a more detailed explanation of the case settlement process, contact us to speak with a Sylmar Juvenile Hall sexual assault lawyer. While we can’t promise fast and easy results, you can be sure of our dedication to you and your case. We are always here, day and night, with the advice and encouragement you need from a legal representative.

Free Legal Services from a Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse Attorney

The Sylmar Juvenile Hall abuse lawyers of Normandie have been fighting for the rights of child abuse victims and their families for several decades. And we have always believed in the concept of free legal services for those who are injured by another party’s negligence. That’s why we offer a Zero Fee Guarantee to all of our clients.

Under this policy, you pay $0 to hire a juvenile hall abuse attorney. Instead of charging you for our expenses, we will include legal fees in our settlement demands, so that’s it’s paid to us as a part of your compensation award. That means if we don’t win your case, we make $0, as you are never responsible for the cost of legal representation here at Normandie Law Firm.

We hope you will take this opportunity to give us a call and learn about the ways we can assist you. Please contact our law firm and schedule a free, confidential case review if you were sexually abused at Sylmar Juvenile Hall.

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