Challenging pretrial detention in Houston & Harris County
Hernandez et al. v. City of Houston & Lomas et al. v. Harris County
In 2016, Civil Rights Corps filed two class-action lawsuits against the City of Houston and Harris County, Texas, for illegally detaining tens of thousands of people every year for extended time periods after arrest in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The first lawsuit was settled for monetary damages against the City of Houston (Hernandez v. Houston) and the second lawsuit (Lomas v. Harris County) resulted in a federal injunction reforming Harris County’s practices.
Media Coverage:
Federal judge rules Houston destroyed evidence in jail lawsuit | Houston Chronicle | Sep 5, 2018
City, county face more civil rights lawsuits over detention, bail | Houston Chronicle | Dec 6, 2016
Partners:
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Filings:
Harris County: Joint Motion for Entry of Judgment (Nov 1, 2017)
Harris County: Motion for Preliminary Injunction (Dec 28, 2016)
Harris County: Complaint (Dec 28, 2016)
City of Houston: Final Approval Order & Judgment (Mar 18, 2021)
City of Houston: Amended Complaint (Mar 1, 2017)
City of Houston: Complaint (Dec 5, 2016)
More from the Ending the Criminalization of Poverty
Sandoval v. Riverside. In May 2025, individuals detained in Riverside County jails filed a class action lawsuit challenging Riverside County’s cash-based jailing of individuals between their arrest and first court hearing, as well as Riverside County’s unnecessary delay of that hearing. Rabbi David Lazar and Reverend Jane Quandt chose to join this lawsuit because they view cash-based jailing as unconscionable. The lawsuit was filed against Riverside County Superior Court, Riverside County, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Chad Bianco.
In partnership with public defenders in Oregon, Civil Rights Corps is challenging Oregon’s longstanding practices of jailing people charged with misdemeanors prior to trial and jailing people charged with other crimes without constitutionally required due process.
Butler v. Prince George's County. In 2022, CRC and partners filed a class action lawsuit challenging Prince George’s County's pretrial detention practices. The lawsuit seeks a declaration that PG County and its officials violate Plaintiffs’ rights under the United States and Maryland Constitutions by detaining people pretrial without meeting the substantive and procedural standards required for pretrial detention.
Urquidi v. City of Los Angeles. CRC and co-counsel brought suit in California Superior Court in November 2022 on behalf of several individuals who had been jailed for five days simply because they could not access enough cash to pay for their freedom.
Caliste v. Cantrell. In 2017, Civil Rights Corps filed a landmark federal class action lawsuit challenging the unconstitutional money bail system in New Orleans, Louisiana.
McNeil v. Community Probation Services. In 2018, five named plaintiffs sued Giles County, TN and two private probation companies on behalf of a class of people who were being supervised on for-profit probation.
Guill v. Allen. In November 2019, CRC filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of three people locked in jail cells in Alamance County, North Carolina only because they are too poor to purchase their freedom.
Rodriguez v. Providence Community Corrections. In September 2017, Civil Rights Corps announced a landmark settlement in a first-of-its-kind class action case in federal court against Rutherford County and Providence Community Corrections, Inc., a private probation company that made millions of dollars over more than a decade by exploiting the poorest people in Rutherford County.
Walker v. City of Calhoun. In 2015, Civil Rights Corps and the Southern Center for Human Rights filed a crucial lawsuit that alleged that the money bail system in Calhoun, Georgia was unconstitutional.