Smith County $1.5M Jail Detention Class Action Settlement, Claim deadline is November 2, 2026
A federal judge in Tyler approved a $1.5 million class action settlement against Smith County, Texas, over allegations that the county jail held more than 100 formerly incarcerated individuals beyond their scheduled release dates. Smith County agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it detained people beyond the end of their felony sentences, with plaintiffs claiming this violated their constitutional rights. Individuals held at the Smith County Jail for more than two days after completing their custodial felony sentence between July 11, 2021, and December 31, 2024, may be eligible for a minimum of $666.44 per day of overdetention. The claim deadline is November 2, 2026.
Quick Facts
- Lawsuit type: Class action — civil rights / unconstitutional overdetention
- Defendant: Smith County, Texas
- Case name: Ladarion Hughes et al. v. Smith County, Texas
- Case number: 6:23-cv-344-JDK
- Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Tyler Division)
- Settlement status: Finally approved (February 5, 2026)
- Settlement fund: $1,500,000 total ($1,000,000 allocated to class members)
- Who may be affected: Individuals detained at Smith County Jail for more than two days after completing their custodial felony sentence between July 11, 2021, and December 31, 2024
- Estimated payout: Minimum $666.44 per day of overdetention
- Claim deadline: November 2, 2026
- Official settlement website: SmithCountySettlement.com
- Administrator: American Legal Claim Services
Current Status & What Happens Next
The fairness hearing was held on February 5, 2026, and the settlement is now open for claims. Here is what is happening now:
- Claims open now — eligible class members can file online through the official settlement website
- Claim deadline: November 2, 2026
- Payments: The settlement administrator will mail payments after it processes all claims and the court grants final approval of the settlement.
Important note on opt-outs: The deadline to opt out of the settlement was January 31, 2026. That window has now passed. Class members who did not opt out in time are bound by the settlement and must file a claim by November 2, 2026, to receive compensation.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
Smith County is located in East Texas, with Tyler as its county seat. The Smith County Jail is the primary detention facility for the county and processes thousands of bookings each year.
The 2023 lawsuit alleged the jail detained people for “unreasonably long periods of time” after their felony sentences because the jail relied on a disjointed, paper-based system for sharing information with agencies that send records to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) in order to finalize releases.
In Texas, when a detained individual completes the term of incarceration for a felony offense, county jails must create a “pen packet” — which includes the individual’s basic sentencing information — and send it to the TDCJ to finalize release. The lawsuit alleged Smith County poorly managed this system. The district clerk’s office is responsible for creating the first portion of the pen packets, and then an employee must leave the packet for the sheriff’s office staff to pick up and send to the TDCJ.
The suit claimed the county failed to implement procedures that ensure correct timing of release, which the plaintiffs argued amounted to a “deliberate indifference to Plaintiffs’ and Class Members’ constitutional rights.” These allegations were brought under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees due process and equal protection under the law.
Nathan Fennell, policy attorney at SMU’s Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center, said the county prioritized “its own convenience over the rights and interests of the people it’s supposed to be serving.”
Smith County denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The county agreed to settle to provide compensation and avoid further litigation.
Who Could Be Included
To be eligible, class members must meet all three of the following criteria: Smith County Jail detained them between July 11, 2021, and December 31, 2024; they completed a custodial felony sentence during that period; and Smith County Jail held them for more than two days after completing their custodial felony sentence.
The settlement administrator used the county’s records to identify eligible individuals and sent them notices. If you received a notice from the settlement administrator with a class member ID and PIN, you are likely an identified class member.
Attorneys identified 102 people who were kept in the county jail beyond their release dates during the class period. However, plaintiffs’ attorneys stated they believe there are other people who experienced the same harm and are working with an investigator to find remaining eligible individuals.
If you believe you may qualify but did not receive a notice, contact the settlement administrator directly at (800) 290-2481 or [email protected].
Settlement Details
Total Fund & Breakdown
The $1,500,000 total settlement fund is divided as follows: $1,000,000 is allocated directly to class member payments; and $500,000 covers settlement administration costs, service awards of $5,000 each to the three named plaintiffs (deducted from the $500,000), and attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses from the remainder of the $500,000.
Related article: M.A. Ford $425,000 Data Breach Class Action Settlement, Claim Deadline is May 25, 2026
What You Could Receive
Each eligible class member who submits a valid claim will receive a minimum of $666.44 for every day Smith County detained them beyond two days after completing their felony sentence.
The $1,000,000 allocated to former inmates will be distributed based on the amount of extra time each person spent in jail. If the total amount of valid claims exceeds $1,000,000, the settlement administrator will reduce payments proportionally.
Named Plaintiff Examples
To illustrate the scale of the alleged overdetention:
- Named plaintiff Ladarion Hughes was detained for more than 27 additional days from late 2021 to early 2022.
- Named plaintiff Angela Alonzo was overdetained for 33 days in 2022.
- Named plaintiff Demarcus Lively was overdetained for eight days in 2022.
- One class member, Anita Bullard, reported spending two extra months in jail beyond her sentence.
How to File a Claim
- Online only: Visit SmithCountySettlement.com and log in using the class member ID and PIN from your settlement notice
- No PDF claim form is available — claims must be submitted online
- Deadline: November 2, 2026
- Payout method: The settlement administrator will mail checks to the address provided on the claim form
Contact the settlement administrator:
Smith County Jail Settlement Administrator PO Box 25226 Santa Ana, CA 92799 (800) 290-2481 [email protected]
Prior Cases / Context
The Smith County settlement is part of a well-documented national pattern of overdetention litigation. The Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center stated the settlement highlights a broader national overdetention problem, with similar issues documented in Texas, Louisiana, and New York.
Civil rights firm Loevy & Loevy is also litigating a major class action over widespread overdetention in Louisiana. Similar cases have resulted in settlements in jurisdictions across the country. For example, Butler County, Ohio and the city of Fairfield agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle a class action involving around 500 people who claimed they were held at the Butler County Jail for more than 48 hours before seeing a judge.
Krishnaveni Gundu, executive director of the Texas Jail Project, said her organization hears from people inside jails and from their families, and it feels like “no one’s really keeping track of anything.”
The Smith County case is notable because it specifically targeted the administrative failure — a paper-based pen packet system with no deadlines or tracking — that plaintiffs argued caused the overdetentions, rather than alleging individual misconduct by any particular officer or employee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Smith County lawsuit a class action?
Yes. Ladarion Hughes et al. v. Smith County, Texas, Case No. 6:23-cv-344-JDK, is a federal class action pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The class covers individuals held at the Smith County Jail for more than two days after completing their custodial felony sentence between July 11, 2021, and December 31, 2024.
Has the settlement been approved?
Yes. The fairness hearing was held on February 5, 2026, and the settlement has been approved by the court. Claims are now open.
Who is eligible to file a claim?
You are eligible if Smith County Jail detained you between July 11, 2021, and December 31, 2024; you completed a custodial felony sentence during that period; and the jail held you for more than two days after you completed that sentence.
How much could I receive?
Eligible class members who file a valid claim will receive a minimum of $666.44 for every day they were detained beyond the two-day grace period after completing their sentence. Final amounts depend on the total number of valid claims filed.
What is the claim deadline?
The deadline to submit a claim online is November 2, 2026.
Can I still opt out of the settlement?
No. The opt-out deadline was January 31, 2026. That window has closed. Eligible class members who did not opt out are bound by the settlement terms.
Where is the official settlement website?
The official settlement website is SmithCountySettlement.com, maintained by American Legal Claim Services and supervised by class counsel.
What happens if I do nothing?
If you do nothing, you will not receive any settlement payment. Because the opt-out period has closed, you will also be bound by the settlement and release your claims against Smith County related to this overdetention lawsuit.
Additional Context
Civil rights attorney Nathan Fennell said the investigation into Smith County’s overdetention started with one inmate and grew when attorneys discovered the practice affected over 100 people. The case was brought jointly by SMU’s Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center, civil rights firm Loevy & Loevy, and attorney Akeeb Dami Animashaun.
Attorney Meg Gould of Loevy & Loevy said that overdetention is “a systemic issue across many criminal systems, violating the constitutional right of countless individuals by denying them their freedom.”
The Smith County case may prompt other Texas counties and jurisdictions across the country to review their own release procedures — particularly those that rely on paper-based or manual handoff systems to process felony releases — to avoid similar litigation.
Last Updated: March 6, 2026
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.
About the Author
Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
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