Why did I get this notice?

You were identified in police records as having been subject to the mass arrest at issue in this class action, or you may have contacted the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund following the arrests. This notice explains that the Court has allowed, or “certified,” a class action lawsuit that may affect you. You have legal rights and options that you may exercise before the Court holds a trial in the case. The trial is to decide whether the claims being made against the Defendants, on your behalf, are correct. Judge Lisa J. Cisneros of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California is overseeing this class action. The lawsuit is known as J.T., et al., v. City & County of San Francisco, et al., Civil Action No. 23-cv-06524-LJC.

What is this lawsuit about? 

This lawsuit asserts that the San Francisco Police engaged in the wrongful arrest of individuals on 17^th Street on Saturday evening, July 8, 2023.  That day, there was an informal skateboard event near Dolores Park and many people gathered to watch. The police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and contend that a group of people defied police dispersal orders, threw fireworks and other objects at police, and engaged in vandalism. At approximately 8:40pm, as the sun set, the police blocked 17^th Street at Dolores and at Guerrero with police lines, detaining more than one hundred people in that block and placing them under arrest. Many of those detained were minors ages 12-17. The police detained these people on 17^th Street until around 11pm, when they began searching those they classified as minor girls and adults, handcuffed them with plastic ziptie-like handcuffs, and loaded them into vehicles to be taken to Mission Police Station. Those classified as minor boys waited additional time on the street before being taken to Mission Station. At the station, all of the arrestees spent additional time in vehicles, and boys were held in an open air garage-like area before being processed inside the station and released with citations. The minors were released between midnight and approximately 4am. The adults were taken from Mission Station to the county jail, and released the next morning. The class action asserts that this mass arrest violated the arrestees’ rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. It also asserts that the conditions of detention were unlawful and violated the class members’ Fourth Amendment rights, and that both the arrest and imprisonment violated California state law. The lawsuit asks for the following relief on behalf of the Class: money damages to be paid by Defendants to the Plaintiffs and Class Members; equitable relief including an order to seal and destroy the arrest records and a judgment declaring that the arrests were illegal; and attorneys’ fees and costs to be paid by Defendants to Plaintiffs’ counsel. 

In a class action lawsuit, one or more people called “Class Representatives” sue on behalf of other people who have similar claims. The people together are a “Class” or “Class Members.” The five individuals who have sued—and all the Class Members like them—are called the Plaintiffs. The people and government entities they sued (in this case, the City and County of San Francisco, former Police Chief William Scott and other police commanders) are called the Defendants. One court resolves the issues for everyone in the Class—except for those people who choose to exclude themselves from the Class. Only a parent or guardian can request to exclude a minor from the class.

Why is this lawsuit a class action?

The Court decided that this lawsuit can be a class action because it meets the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, which governs class actions in federal courts. Specifically, the Court found that: 

• There are approximately 113 class members; 

• There are legal questions and facts that are common to each of them; 

• The Class Representatives’ (minors J.T., C.L., L.R., and S.H., and adult Jack Brundage) claims are typical of the claims of the rest of the Class; 

• The Class Representatives, and the lawyers representing the Class will fairly and adequately represent the Class’ interests; 

• The common legal questions and facts are more important than questions that affect only individuals; and 

• This class action will be more efficient than having many individual lawsuits. 

More information about why the Court is allowing this lawsuit to be a class action is in the Court’s Order Certifying the Class, or from Class Counsel at 415-991-3565, or by emailing using the form below.

Has the Court decided who is right?

The Court has not decided whether the Defendants or the Plaintiffs are correct. By establishing the Class and issuing this Notice, the Court is not suggesting that the Plaintiffs will win or lose this case. The Plaintiffs must prove their claims.

What are the Plaintiffs asking for? 

The Plaintiffs are asking for money to compensate the Class Members for their arrest and imprisonment; an order declaring that the arrests and detention were unlawful; an order declaring the arrests null and void; and an order to seal and destroy the arrest records, fingerprints, photographs, identification and descriptive information, and all biological samples and information obtained from biological samples collected from the Plaintiff class. 

No money or benefits are available now because the Court has not yet decided whether the Defendants did anything wrong, and the two sides have not settled the case. There is no guarantee that money or benefits ever will be obtained. If you remain in the class, you will be notified about the outcome of this litigation. If the Plaintiffs obtain any money or benefits from the Defendants and you are entitled to a share, either your share will be sent to you (or to your parent or guardian if you are still under 18); or you (or your parent or guardian) will be notified about how to claim a share.

To notify you, Class Counsel will need current contact information; you can update your contact information or add your email here.