New York City Central Booking Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Capobianco, et al. v. The City of New York, et al., No. 1:21-cv-06125

There’s up to $475 waiting for you for every time you were held at a New York City Central Booking facility — if it happened between April 8, 2017 and December 27, 2019 (Brooklyn) or between February 3, 2020 and March 1, 2023 (any borough). The City of New York agreed to pay up to $21,500,000 to settle three combined lawsuits over conditions at those facilities. You have until October 19, 2026 to file.

New York City Central Booking Settlement — Key Facts

Settlement Amount	Up to $21,500,000 total fund
Claim Deadline	October 19, 2026
Who Qualifies	Anyone detained at Brooklyn Central Booking April 8, 2017–Dec. 27, 2019, or any NYC Central Booking location Feb. 3, 2020–March 1, 2023
Estimated Payout	Up to $475 for each qualifying detention — multiple detentions during the period can each be claimed separately
Proof Required (Yes/No)	No — your detention count comes from NYPD/NYDOC records; contact the administrator to confirm or dispute the number
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved; final approval hearing pending
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, Nos. 1:21-cv-06125, 1:19-cv-2054, 1:20-cv-01716
Law Alleged	Violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (42 U.S.C. § 1983) — unconstitutional conditions of confinement
Administrator	Angeion Group
Official Claim Site	CentralBookingSettlement.com
Last Updated	August 28, 2026

Who Is the City of New York and Why Are They Being Sued Over Central Booking?

The City runs a Central Booking facility in each borough — the holding cells where people go right after arrest, before they ever see a judge for arraignment. Three separate lawsuits, filed between 2019 and 2021, allege the City held pretrial detainees in those cells under conditions that violated their constitutional right to due process. That’s not a novel legal theory for this exact building type: a 2017 federal appeals ruling, Darnell v. Pineiro, specifically addressed unconstitutional conditions at Brooklyn Central Booking and set the standard courts still use for these claims. A facility built to hold people briefly becomes a liability the moment “briefly” turns into something longer.

What Did New York City Do to Central Booking Detainees Between 2017 and 2023?

Three lawsuits ended up combined into this settlement: Brennan, filed in April 2019; Aboubakar, filed in April 2020; and Capobianco, filed in November 2021. Each alleges the City held people at Central Booking facilities under conditions that violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the federal statute that lets people sue government officials for constitutional violations.

Here’s the plain-English version of that clause: pretrial detainees — people who’ve been arrested but not convicted of anything — can’t legally be punished before their case is even decided. Holding someone in unconstitutional conditions, even for a matter of hours, can violate that right. The legal standard for proving it in this exact courthouse traces back to Darnell v. Pineiro, 849 F.3d 17 (2d Cir. 2017), a case about this same Brooklyn facility.

The City of New York denies it did anything wrong and hasn’t admitted liability anywhere in the settlement. It agreed to pay anyway, avoiding the cost and uncertainty of pushing three consolidated federal cases through years more litigation. If you’ve followed other NYC civil-rights payouts, this fits a pattern — the city settled a $20 million wrongful-arrest claim and other Fourteenth Amendment cases the same way: without conceding fault, but with a real payout attached.

That money is yours if you were there and you file. If you don’t, it stays with the City.

Who Qualifies for the New York City Central Booking Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• Anyone detained at Brooklyn Central Booking between April 8, 2017 and December 27, 2019
• Individuals held at any Central Booking location citywide between February 3, 2020 and March 1, 2023
• People booked more than once during those windows — each separate detention counts as its own claim
• Those who received a notice from the Settlement Administrator listing their recorded detention count

You do not qualify if your only detention fell outside those two date ranges, or if you were never held at a Central Booking facility in the first place.

New York City Central Booking Settlement Outside New York — Are You Still Covered?

This settlement is specific to New York City’s own Central Booking system, so it only covers people detained at those city facilities — it doesn’t extend to jails or booking facilities in other states or counties, no matter when you were held there.

If you were detained multiple times, each visit within the class period is worth up to $475 on its own — this isn’t a flat one-time payment, so it’s worth confirming your full count with the administrator rather than assuming one claim covers everything.

Not sure if you qualify for the New York City Central Booking settlement? A free consultation with a civil rights attorney can help before the October 19, 2026 deadline.

How Much Can New York City Central Booking Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $475 Per Detention

There’s no tiered “with proof” or “without proof” split here — your payout is based on how many times NYPD/NYDOC records show you were detained at a Central Booking facility during the class period, at up to $475 per visit. You can confirm that count by contacting the Settlement Administrator, and if you think it’s wrong, you can formally challenge it before the money goes out.

Choosing How You Get Paid

You can take your payment as a mailed check, or select PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or a virtual prepaid card on the claim form. Payments go out after the settlement receives final approval, likely by the end of 2026. One catch worth knowing: if you have unpaid child-support judgments, New York law lets the City apply that lien against your payment.

Here’s something most coverage of this case won’t mention: the settlement names 67 individual Class Representatives — an unusually large number for a case this size — and their attorneys are asking the court to approve payments of $8,750 to $15,000 apiece for their added effort, on top of up to $2,950,000 in attorneys’ fees. Both come from the City separately, not out of the $21.5 million fund, so a bigger fee award here doesn’t shrink what class members can claim.

How to File Your New York City Central Booking Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to CentralBookingSettlement.com and click “Submit Claim.”
2. Confirm your identity and review your recorded detention count from NYPD/NYDOC records.
3. Choose your payment method: check, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or virtual prepaid card.
4. If your detention count looks wrong, contact the administrator to request a correction before submitting.
5. Sign and submit the claim form online, or mail the paper version using the return envelope.
6. Save your confirmation — payment won’t go out until after the final approval hearing.

Takes about 10 minutes.

The deadline is October 19, 2026 — a little over seven weeks out, so there’s no need to rush, but it’s worth doing before it slips your mind.

Should New York City Central Booking Class Members Opt Out or Object Before October 5, 2026?

What Opting Out of the New York City Settlement Actually Means

Opting out means you get no payment from this settlement, but you keep the right to sue the City of New York yourself over the same Central Booking conditions. Most people are better off staying in and filing a claim, but if you’re weighing your own separate lawsuit, talk to a lawyer before deciding. The opt-out deadline is October 5, 2026 — a signed letter to the Settlement Administrator, postmarked by that date.

How to Object to the New York City Central Booking Settlement

Objecting keeps you in the class and any payment you’re owed, while formally telling the court you disagree with some part of the deal — including the attorneys’ fees. Your letter needs your contact information, the specific reasons for your objection, and whether you or a lawyer plan to speak at the October 22, 2026 final approval hearing. It must be postmarked to the Settlement Administrator by October 5, 2026.

Talk to a civil rights attorney before October 5, 2026 if you’re considering either option.

New York City Central Booking Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Settlement Reached	May 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	October 5, 2026
Objection Deadline	October 5, 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	October 19, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	October 22, 2026, 11:00 a.m., U.S. Courthouse, Brooklyn, NY
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — administrator states payments go out after final approval, “likely by the end of 2026,” with no exact date confirmed

New York City Central Booking — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 1:21-cv-06125

Do I need a lawyer to file a New York City Central Booking settlement claim? 

No. The class lawyers already negotiated this settlement on your behalf, and filing at CentralBookingSettlement.com takes about 10 minutes. You may hire your own attorney at your own expense if you’d rather.

Is the New York City Central Booking settlement legitimate? 

Yes. It’s the official, court-authorized settlement website for three consolidated federal cases in the Eastern District of New York, administered by Angeion Group — not the City itself.

When will New York City Central Booking settlement payments be sent?

 Not before the October 22, 2026 final approval hearing. The administrator expects payments to go out by the end of 2026, though that could shift if there are appeals.

What if I missed the New York City claim deadline?

 Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by October 19, 2026. If you miss it, you’re still bound by the settlement’s release but won’t receive a payment.

Will my New York City Central Booking settlement payment go on a 1099? 

The notice doesn’t address tax reporting directly. Payments over $600 may be reported on a 1099 depending on how they’re issued — check with a tax professional about your specific payout.

How many detentions does the settlement cover per person? 

As many as NYPD/NYDOC records show occurred during the class period — each separate Central Booking detention is worth up to $475 on its own, not just your first or most recent one.

Can I still be part of this settlement if I don’t remember exactly how many times I was detained?

 Yes. You don’t need your own records — the Settlement Administrator uses official City records to determine your count, and you can contact them to confirm or challenge that number.

What happens if I don’t file a claim, opt out, or object?

 You’re automatically bound by the settlement’s release — meaning you give up the right to sue the City over these same Central Booking conditions — but you won’t receive any payment.

Sources Used in This New York City Central Booking Article

• Official Settlement Website — Home: CentralBookingSettlement.com
• Official Settlement Website — Long Form Class Action Notice (PDF): Central Booking Notice_Long Form Notice_FINAL.pdf
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York — Case docket, Capobianco v. The City of New York, No. 1:21-cv-06125
• Darnell v. Pineiro, 849 F.3d 17 (2d Cir. 2017) — governing legal standard for pretrial-detainee conditions-of-confinement claims at Brooklyn Central Booking

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official settlement website (CentralBookingSettlement.com) and the court-authorized Long Form Notice on August 28, 2026. Last Updated: August 28, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.