The City of Fairfield and Butler County will pay a $1.2 million settlement after around 500 people claimed they were held unlawfully at the Butler County Jail.
The lawsuit, filed in 2019 by two men, claims that people who were arrested between February 2017 and February 2019 in Fairfield were held at the county jail without seeing a judge for multiple days, which is required by law. One of the men alleges he was there for five days without the opportunity post bond or get a court hearing.
A federal judge must still approve of the settlement.
People who could be eligible for the lawsuit will be notified, and they will have a chance to opt in or opt out, according to court documents.
If the settlement is approved, each person could receive up to $500, but it could be more depending on the length of time someone was held before receiving a court hearing, according to court documents.
