California Attorney General Rob Bonta held a press conference announcing that the California Department of Justice has filed a motion in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking to place Los Angeles County’s juvenile halls under a court-appointed receivership.

The motion, filed in connection with the ongoing civil enforcement case People of the State of California v. County of Los Angeles, et al., requests that the court appoint an independent Receiver to take over the operation of the County’s Juvenile Halls.

The filing also seeks the creation of a youth-serving compensatory fund to provide services for youth impacted by the County’s past noncompliance with legal standards.

According to the Attorney General’s office, this action follows repeated findings of noncompliance by the County with a stipulated judgment entered in January 2021, which was intended to address unsafe and unlawful conditions in the County’s juvenile halls.

The filing cites findings by the court-appointed Monitor, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), the County’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), documenting ongoing deficiencies in staffing, medical care, safety checks, use-of-force protocols, and contraband prevention. These reflect concerns raised over the past four years by the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Commission (POC), in inspections and reports that are available at poc.lacounty.gov/reports.

The Attorney General’s motion is scheduled to be heard in Department 34 of the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, August 15, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., before Judge Peter A. Hernandez.

No final decision on the motion has been made. The matter remains under judicial review.

The Probation Oversight Commission will continue to push for transparency and accountability and remain committed to moving forward in alignment with our core values: equity, dignity, accountability, and transformation. Public participation is crucial in this process. We invite all members of the community to attend the Commission’s meeting tomorrow, Thursday, July 24 at 9:00 a.m. at Magic Johnson Park or join virtually via Webex. Join via Webex: bit.ly/46gXbmZ