The lengthy legal battle shrouding the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s use of jailhouse informants has been brought to a decisive end, with the lawsuit initiated by the civil rights group P.E.O.P.L.E. and several individuals being dismissed with prejudice. This resolution signifies that the case cannot be filed again, an outcome indicating the lawsuit’s perceived lack of merit and its finality, as reported by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Don Barnes expressed his conviction, never wavering, that the Department would triumph in the legal proceedings, his confidence underscored by the recent dismissal and specifically citing the drain on taxpayer dollars that he claimed the lawsuit represented due to its lack of foundation, “I was confident we would prevail in court,” Sheriff Barnes said, deeming the lawsuit a waste of millions and without merit.
The lawsuit, which started in 2018, raised questions about constitutional violations concerning the use of informants among those incarcerated in Orange County’s jails, an action that culminated in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ). This probe concluded earlier in January 2025 with no amendment to the Sheriff Department’s procedures and a recognition of substantial compliance with constitutional stipulations…