\u201cI want them in Sacramento to fix it,\u201d she said. \u201cI have to believe that we are the tip of the iceberg.\u201d<\/p>\n
The controversial law, Assembly Bill 218, has led to thousands of claims over abuse that took place in schools, juvenile halls and foster homes. Supporters say it continues to give survivors a chance at justice, while Barger and other officials warn the cost of the litigation is driving local governments to the brink of bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
Rolling back AB 218, critics argue, is the single most obvious thing state lawmakers can do this legislative session. <\/p>\n
The push has gained momentum amid concerns of fraud in the first of two payouts approved last year by L.A. County officials. At $4 billion, it was the largest sex abuse settlement<\/a> in U.S. history, with the money set aside for more than 11,000 victims.<\/p>\n The Times reported<\/a> last fall on allegations of fabricated claims filed by plaintiffs within the settlement, which prompted L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman to open<\/a> an investigation. Hochman told the supervisors this week that his office is reviewing \u201cthousands of claims\u201d for fraudulent submissions and predicted savings in the \u201chundreds of millions if not billions of dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking at the event Wednesday, Barger suggested capping attorneys fees \u2014 acknowledging that some high-powered attorneys in the room were involved in the county\u2019s litigation. <\/p>\n Out of the $4-billion payout, she said, \u201cabout $1.5 billion will go to attorney fees \u2014 present company included.\u201d<\/p>\n Barger referenced a former state Assembly speaker known for bare-knuckle tactics, which she said were needed now in the Capitol. <\/p>\n \u201cIf Willie Brown were up there, I\u2019m sure he\u2019d lock everyone in a room and slap some sense into them at this point,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has asked California legislators to consider changes to AB 218. Critics say sexual abuse lawsuits are driving local governments to the brink of bankruptcy, while supporters say it is one of the few ways for victims of abuse to get justice. Rivas spoke in Ventura County on Nov. 18, 2025.<\/p>\n (Myung J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n This session, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has assigned a group of legislators to look at what changes might be made to the law.<\/p>\n A spokesman for Rivas, Nick Miller, said the goal is to provide \u201cmeaningful access to justice for all survivors\u201d without forcing service cuts in schools and governments.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a group of members discussing possible solutions that strike the right balance on this critical issue,\u201d Miller said. <\/p>\n It\u2019s a tightrope walk that no legislator has mastered. <\/p>\n Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica), who tried last year to increase the burden of proof for these cases, was branded a protector of predators. <\/p>\n Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) got further with a pared-down bill only to watch it blow up last session over concerns he was trampling on victims\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n \u201cI worked hard to strike the middle ground,\u201d Laird said. \u201cIt just was too hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Organized labor, a powerful voice in Sacramento, could sway the equation. County unions said they were told repeatedly at the bargaining table last year that they couldn\u2019t get raises because of the massive sex abuse settlements, potentially setting them on a collision course with victim advocates.<\/p>\n Lorena Gonzalez, who wrote AB 218 in 2019 before leaving the Legislature to head up the California Federation of Labor Unions, said lobbying firms had been urging unions recently to take the lead on convincing the Assembly to change the law. The union leaders have yet to take a stance, she said. <\/p>\n \u201cAlthough there\u2019s some desire to especially fix what happened in L.A., there wasn\u2019t an overwhelming desire to roll it back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n While serving in the state Legislature, Lorena Gonzalez authored AB 218, a state law that extended the statute of limitations for lawsuits over sexual abuse in government facilities. Gonzalez, now with the California Labor Federation, spoke at Balletto Vineyards in Santa Rosa, Calif., on April 26, 2024.<\/p>\n (Jeff Chiu \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n A Times investigation last fall found nine clients<\/a> of Downtown L.A. Law Group, a law firm that represents thousands of plaintiffs in the county\u2019s largest settlement, who claimed that recruiters had paid them to sue. Some clients said they were told to make up stories of abuse that became the crux of their lawsuit. <\/p>\n The firm, also known as DTLA, has denied paying any client to sue. Andrew Morrow, the main attorney on the cases for DTLA, argued in a Feb. 13 court filing that the recent subpoena<\/a> by the State Bar seeking their court records as part of an investigation into the firm amounted to an \u201cill-advised fishing expedition.\u201d The firm argued that allowing the State Bar to review its filings violates clients\u2019 privacy. <\/p>\n \u201cNo one disputes that these allegations are troubling and, if true, serious,\u201d Morrow wrote. \u201cHowever, untested allegations printed in a local newspaper \u2014 no matter how compelling \u2014 do not override the privacy rights\u201d of victims. <\/p>\n Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay), a longtime advocate for sex abuse survivors who vehemently opposed<\/a> the last attempt at changing AB 218, said that \u201cthere\u2019s all kinds of discussions about potential solutions\u201d for fraud underway in the Legislature. <\/p>\n But limiting victims\u2019 ability to sue, as some have called on lawmakers to do, is a clear no-go, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cSilencing victims is not the way to get out fraud,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Like many legislators, she pinned some of the blame for the alleged fraud on poor vetting by lawyers for L.A. County. The county has said the cost of taking depositions for more than 11,000 cases would be \u201castronomical,\u201d and that no records exist for many of the older cases, leaving them defenseless. <\/p>\n In a statement to The Times, a spokesperson for the L.A. County counsel\u2019s office said the Legislature created AB 218 \u201cwithout a single safeguard against fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is their failure to own,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThis is the system the Legislature built, and they need to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n The county maintains it is not trying to squash victims\u2019 rights, but rather keep vital services \u2014 pools, parks, health clinics \u2014 open.<\/p>\n \u201cI am tired of whenever a government official stands up and says, \u2018Hey, there needs to be some reform here,\u2019 that we\u2019re accused of victim blaming, pedophile protecting,\u201d says Joseph Nicchitta, the county\u2019s acting chief executive.<\/p>\n![\"Assembly](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771673833_236_.jpeg\")
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