Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02324/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02324-17/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RUSSELL MOYLE, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 05-cv-02324-JCS 

ORDER RE DISTRIBUTION OF 

REMAINING SETTLEMENT FUNDS

This class action involved claims against Contra Costa County alleging civil rights 

violations regarding its policy and practice of conducting strip searches of juveniles admitted to 

the general population of its Juvenile Hall. The parties entered into a settlement agreement and 

the Court approved the agreement on March 19, 2010. On April 25, 2014, after the Claims 

Administrator had sent out settlement payments to as many class members as it could locate, the 

Court ordered that the remaining funds be transferred to the Law Offices of Mark Merin, who 

agreed to “take reasonable steps to locate the remaining class members.” Docket No. 168. Mr. 

Merin located an additional five class members. See Docket No. 169. The parties have now 

requested guidance as to the recipient of the remaining funds, which amount to $13,806.97. 

The Court has broad discretionary powers as to the distribution of unclaimed class action 

funds. In designating a cy pres recipient, however, the court “must account for the nature of the 

plaintiffs’ lawsuit, the objectives of the underlying statutes, and the interests of the silent class 

members, including their geographic diversity.” Nachshin v. AOL, LLC, 663 F.3d 1034, 1036 (9th 

Cir. 2011). The parties agree that Loaves and Fishes, which provides community based food 

programs and partner services that focus on basic needs, would be an appropriate cy pres recipient. 

The Court agrees. Therefore, the Court orders that the remaining settlement funds be paid to 

Case 3:05-cv-02324-JCS Document 171 Filed 04/18/16 Page 1 of 2
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 18, 2016

______________________________________

JOSEPH C. SPERO

Chief Magistrate Judge

Case 3:05-cv-02324-JCS Document 171 Filed 04/18/16 Page 2 of 2