‘Plea mill’ civil rights lawsuit against Kern County moved to Solano due to judicial conflicts

A civil rights lawsuit alleging Kern County Superior Court has violated the constitutional rights of roughly 50,000 criminal defendants over the last decade was reassigned to a Solano County courtroom last month for adjudication, and the outcome of the case could set a precedent for how prosecutions are handled statewide. 

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union filed the complaint on behalf of the UFW Foundation and three individual plaintiffs in May 2023, arguing that Kern County is operating a “plea mill” or “fast track plea system” in violation of criminal defendants’ constitutional rights to counsel and due process. They also allege discrimination against individuals found by the court to be mentally incompetent to stand trial in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.