By Eyewitness News

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kern County has agreed to pay out $7 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving strip searches in its jails.

Some inmates claimed they were strip searched either in a group without privacy or after the court had ordered them to be released. The settlement covers eligible beneficiaries who were inmates from March 27, 2005, to Oct. 1, 2007, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

Los Angeles firm Litt, Estuar & Kitson LLP represented the plaintiffs, while the Kern County Sheriff’s Office was represented by county counsel. The preliminary approval for the settlement was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

Eligible inmates could receive anywhere between $200 and $2,250, depending on their circumstances.

Starting March 16, the website lopezvyoungblood.com will contain information about the settlement, according to Litt, Estuar & Kitson LLP.

Source: BakersfieldNow