Who is a Class Member
PCC/Rutherford County Probation Class Action Settlement Class members include “all persons who, at any time from October 1, 2011 to the Preliminary Approval Order (January 2, 2018):
- (1) incurred court-imposed financial obligations arising from a traffic or misdemeanor case in Rutherford County General Sessions or Circuit Court; and
- (2) were supervised on probation in that case by PCC or Rutherford County’s Probation Department.
If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Settlement Amount
- $14,300,000.00
Estimated Award
- Varies
Page 18 of the Settlement Agreement details how the settlement payments will be dispersed.
Class Members who were on supervised probation with PCC or supervised probation with Rutherford County’s Probation Department and submit Valid Claims shall be entitled to receive Cash Awards as follows:
Each Settlement Class Member whose probation with PCC ended prior to October 1, 2014, will be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to 125% of the amount that he or she actually paid to PCC for PCC Fees beginning October 1, 2011. The payout will also include 125% of the amount that he or she actually paid to PCC for PCC Fees for such offenses prior to October 1, 2011.
Each Settlement Class Member who was on probation with PCC on or after October 1, 2014, will be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to $50 for each month that he or she was on supervised probation with PCC after October 1, 2014, plus 125% of the amount that he or she actually paid to PCC for PCC Fees. The payment will also include 125% of the amount that he or she actually paid to PCC for PCC Fees for such offenses before October 1, 2011.
Each Settlement Class Member who was on probation with Rutherford County’s Probation Department in or after March 2016 and (a) was on supervised probation for the sole purpose of paying court-imposed financial obligations or (b) would have been removed from supervised probation but for the payment of a court-imposed financial obligation, will be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to $50 for each month that he or she was on supervised probation with Rutherford County’s Probation Department in or after March 2016 through January 2, 2018 plus 125% of the Cmount that he or she actually paid to Rutherford County’s Probation Department for probation fees from March 2016 through the Preliminary Approval Order.
Proof of Purchase
- Class members will need to provide the following information along with their claim form:
- Dates (approximate) they were on probation
- Rutherford County case number
Claim Form
PCC/Rutherford County Probation Settlement Notes
- Rodriguez et al. v. Providence Community Corrections, Inc. et al
- Case No. 3:15-cv-01048
- Pending in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
This civil rights class action lawsuit claims that Rutherford County, Tennessee in contract with Pathways Community Corrections, violated several federal and state laws, and the U.S. Constitution, in regards to their probation practices.
Specifically, the seven named plaintiffs – Cindy Rodriguez, Steven Gibbs, Paula Pullum, Yolanda Carney, Jacqueline Brinkley, Curtis Johnson and Fred Robinson – say Rutherford County and PCC targeted and punished probationers with excessive private fines, fees, costs, and surcharges stemming from traffic and misdemeanor cases in the Rutherford County courts.
Additionally, the lawsuit states that probationers were threatened with more jail time or more stringent probation terms if they did not pay the private fees imposed by Rutherford County or PCC. According to the complaint, these seven plaintiffs lost their homes, jobs, and more in order to pay the alleged illegal fines.
Rutherford County and Pathways Community Corrections denies each and every allegation of wrongdoing, liability and damages but agreed to settle for $14.3 million.
Elizabeth Rossi, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys told the Daily News Journal, “It’s a landmark settlement that will provide financial compensation to people who were victims of the extortion scheme by PCC (Providence Community Corrections) and Rutherford County. It will also result in significant changes to the probation system in Rutherford County.”
Complete details about the case and settlement are provided on the PCC/Rutherford County Probation Settlement website.
The PCC/Rutherford County Probation class action settlement was granted preliminary approval on January 2, 2018. Class members who wish to object to or exclude themselves from the settlement must do so by April 27, 2018. Class members who wish to receive a settlement payment must submit a claim form by April 27, 2018.
Important Dates
- 4/27/18: Claim Form Deadline
- 4/27/18: Exclusion or Objection Deadline
- 6/25/18: Final Hearing at 10:00 am CT* (class members do not need to attend this hearing in order to receive a slice of the settlement pie).
*Settlement Class Members who wish to speak at the hearing should check www.pccrutherfordsettlement.com to confirm that the date or time of the Hearing has not been changed.
Contact Information
- Mail: Rodriguez, et al. v. Providence Community Corrections Inc., et al., c/o Dahl Administration LLC, P.O. Box 3614, Minneapolis, MN 55403-0614
- Phone: 1-888-805-9120
- Email: info@PCCRutherfordSettlement.com
Class Counsel
- Alec Karakatsanis and Elizabeth Rossi of Civil Rights Corps
- Kyle F. Mothershead of Law Office of Kyle Mothershead
Settlement Website
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