Judge to vet L.A. County abuse settlement

Los Angeles County is bringing on a retired judge to tackle a $4-billion question: How can officials ensure that real victims are compensated from the biggest sex abuse payout in U.S. history - and not people who made up their claims?

- REBECCA ELLIS

TAMMY ROGERS, 56, who sued in 2022, says she's worried the extra vetting may delay payments to victims.

The county has tapped Daniel Buckley, a former presiding judge of the county's Superior Court, to vet cases brought by Downtown LA Law Group after The Times found nine people represented by the firm who said they were paid to sue the county by recruiters. Four of the plaintiffs said they were told to fabricate the claims.

Downtown LA Law Group, or DTLA, has denied paying any of its roughly 2,700 clients, but agreed to cover the cost of Buckley to examine their cases in the $4-billion sex abuse settlement.

In a letter sent to clients last week, Andrew Morrow, the lead attorney in the firm's sex abuse cases, noted there are "additional safeguards" and "vetting protocols" underway following recent reports of paid clients, but did not specifically mention the new judge.

"While we categorically deny this ever occurred, we take these matters seriously and welcome the implementation of additional review procedures to ensure false claims do not move forward in the process," wrote Morrow, the chairman of the firm's mass torts department.

On Oct. 17, Dawyn Harrison, the top attorney for the county, requested an investigation from the State Bar based on The Times' reporting, saying she believed some of the settlement would flow to "the pockets of the plaintiffs' bar" rather than victims.