The Ventura County Juvenile Facilities Complex (located at 4333 Vineyard Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93036) sits on 45-acres of land near the Elk Rio community. The facility consists of multiple units, which include housing, outdoor recreation units, a multipurpose gym, a technology training center, medical offices and exam rooms, a visiting center, classrooms, kitchen services, laundry services, and more. It has a capacity of 420 male/female use (a detention capacity of 240 and a commitment capacity of 180).
Unfortunately, sexual abuse is very common in juvenile halls throughout California – and Ventura County juvenile halls are no exception. Were you sexually abuse during the time that you were at the Ventura County Juvenile Hall? Whether you at the juvenile hall waiting on a court date, serving a commitment, or simply awaiting placement for foster care, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. For more information about your right to file your lawsuit, contact the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible.
The Normandie Law Firm is experienced in child sex abuse claims against county entities and is ready to go above it all to fight for your rights. Our legal team has decades of experience and is fully committed to getting our clients justice for juvenile hall sex abuse. If you are ready to speak with our legal team and learn more about your options, contact us. Our experts on juvenile hall sexual abuse will guide you every step of the way.
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Child Sexual Abuse at California Juvenile Halls
Abuse at juvenile halls is, unfortunately, very common. Child sex abuse (i.e., the abuse of detained minors) occurs far too often. This may consist of rape, attempted rape, sodomy, groping, touching, fondling, kissing, forcing the victim to touch the attacker, making inappropriate jokes/comments, forcing the victim to masturbate, forcing the victim to penetrate the attacker, showing the victim sexually explicit photos/videos, and more. In many of these cases, the attacker threatens the victim, so the victim does not immediately report the abuse. In some cases, the attacker mentally and emotionally manipulates the victim, so the victim believes the relationship is consensual – however, minors can never consent to sexual conduct.
Sexual abuse can happen anywhere in juvenile halls, in offices, closets, clinics, in the showers, and in the housing units, for example. The abuse can happen at the hands of other detained youth as well as juvenile hall staff – it can even follow the victim once he or she is released and on probation.
No matter how the abuse happened, victims are likely to suffer significant physical, mental, and emotional harm. Potential harm associated with child sex abuse at juvenile hall can include the following:
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Unwanted pregnancies and related complications
- Injuries to genitals and/or reproductive organs
- Fractures, lacerations, and other injuries associated with a physical struggle
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Fear
- Increased risk of substance abuse (including drugs and alcohol)
- Increased risk of self-harm (including suicide)
If you or a member of your family suffered any sort of harm caused by sexual abuse at Ventura County Juvenile Facilities Complex or at any other juvenile hall in the county or in the state, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. For more information about the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible.
Can I File a Lawsuit for Sex Abuse at a Juvenile Hall?
Yes, you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. The county has a duty to keep all detained youth safe during their detention. To ensure that staff does not represent a danger to youth, the county must subject all employees to extensive background checks (although this is typically done at the starts of the hiring process, random background checks should be performed throughout employment), training, and supervising, for instance. The county must also have the necessary policies and procedures in place, such as zero-tolerance policies, reporting policies, investigation procedures, etc. Most importantly, when youth makes reports of abuse at the hands of staff, they must take immediate action to prevent further harm.
What if the sexual abuse occurred at the hands of other youth? Even when the abusers are other youth, victims could still file a lawsuit against the county. As mentioned above, the facility has a duty to keep detained youth safe. When there is abuse between youth, action must be taken immediately – whether it is increasing supervision, separating youth, etc.
When abuse is ignored or allowed to continue – and reports go uninvestigated – the county could be held accountable for all resulting harm.
Unfortunately, many people never seek legal help because they believe that they do not have any rights while they are detained at juvenile halls. This is not the case. Detained youth still have rights. For example, they have the right to safety at juvenile halls. If you were sexually abused during the time that you were detained at a Ventura County juvenile hall, contact the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible.
What Compensation is Available for Ventura County Juvenile Hall Cases?
Based on the details surrounding the claim, claimants could be entitled to receive compensation for some of the following:
- Medical costs
- Lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral/burial costs
- Punitive damages
- Treble damages
- Legal fees
How much are juvenile hall sex abuse cases worth? The value of these claims can vary significantly case to case. This is because case value is strictly based on the details surrounding the claim, including the type of abuse suffered, the type of injuries resulting from the abuse, the extent of the injuries (i.e., whether the injuries caused long-lasting or permanent harm), whether there was gross negligence, and whether the abuse was covered-up, for example. Typically, these claims can have values ranging anywhere from $500,000 to $1.5 million, although class action lawsuits are known to reach multi-million-dollar settlements.
Here at our law firm, our team is more than ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to fight for your rights and recover the highest settlement available. Whether our team has to negotiate a settlement or take your claim to trial to get a verdict, you can be certain that our team will not rest until you are fairly compensated.
How Long Do I Have to File My Claim?
This is a very important question. You may still have the right to file a lawsuit even if it has been many years – even decades – since the abuse happened. This is based on the California statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the specific length of time that claimants have to file their claims. If claimants do not file their claims on time, then they can lose their right to sue for the harm that they suffered. Because of that, it is essential that victims of child sexual abuse understand the deadline that applies to their claim and take action as soon as possible.
Under California law, victims of child sex abuse are subject to a twenty-two-year statute of limitations, which starts counting when the victim turns eighteen years old. This means that victims have until the age of forty to file child sex abuse claims. In addition, there is a five-year discovery rule, meaning that even if claimants are passed the age of forty, they could still file a claim within five years of discovering the harm caused by the abuse. This is important considering that victims of child sex abuse often suffer from repressed memories and may be experiencing different effects of the abuse even if they do not know it (like the inability to hold down a job, issues with authority figures, inability to form normal relationships, etc.).
What is the deadline for government claims? Government claims are subject to much shorter deadlines. In general, claims against the county are subject to a six-month statute of limitations. Depending on the response from the county, claimants can have either six months or two years to file civil lawsuits.
Because it can be so difficult to determine the deadline that applies to claims, we urge claimants to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Our lawyers are ready to guide you every step of the way to ensure that your claim is filed on time and that you get justice for the sexual abuse that you suffered.
Contact the Normandie Law Firm Today
Were you sexually abused during the time that you were detained at the Ventura County Juvenile Facilities Complex? Whether you were abused by staff or by another youth, you could have the right to sue. You could also be entitled to receive compensation. For more information about the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to contact our experts here at the Normandie Law Firm at your earliest convenience. Our legal team is fully committed to providing you with the guidance that you need to fight for your rights and sue the county for the harm that you suffered. Our juvenile hall sex abuse lawyers are more than ready to help you every step of the way.
We know that starting the legal process can be intimidating, so we are committed to making the process as simple as possible. Our law firm offers free legal services. These include free consultations and free second opinions. Whether you are looking to begin your claim or redirect your claim after starting it elsewhere, you can be certain that our juvenile hall sex abuse lawyers are ready to guide you every step of the way.
Because of our Zero-Fee Guarantee, you will never be required to pay any upfront legal costs for any legal services. In addition, our law firm works on contingency; this means that our clients will not be responsible for paying any legal costs if their claims are not successful.
If you are ready to explore your right to sue for sex abuse at a Ventura County juvenile hall, contact the experts here at our law firm today.
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