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LEGAL NOTICE
If you received a collect telephone call from an inmate at a
Washington Department of Corrections Facility between June 20,
1996 and December 31, 2000, your rights may be affected by a
class action settlement.
A $45,000,000 settlement has been reached in a
class action lawsuit against AT&T. The Court
previously certified the lawsuit as a class action and is
now considering whether to approve the settlement.
This notice summarizes the settlement, your rights,
and how to file a claim for a share of the settlement if
it is approved by the Court.
Who’s included?
You may be a member of the class if you accepted
collect calls within the state of Washington from
Washington State Reformatory (Monroe), Twin
Rivers Corrections Center, Indian Ridge Corrections
Center (Arlington), Special Offender Center
(Monroe), Clallam Bay Corrections Center,
Washington Correction Center for Women (Purdy),
Olympic Corrections Center, Pine Lodge PreRelease/Correction Center, Coyote Ridge, Washington
Corrections Center (Shelton), McNeil Island
Penitentiary, Washington State Penitentiary (Walla
Walla), Airway Heights, and Tacoma Pre-Release
between June 20, 1996 and December 31, 2000.
What’s this about?
This lawsuit claims that AT&T failed to provide
required rate information on collect calls from
Washington Department of Corrections facilities. The
suit seeks statutory damages for persons who accepted
or paid for those calls, which the Court has defined as
$200 per person plus the cost of the collect calls
accepted.
What does the settlement provide?
The settlement provides: (1) payment of
$45,000,000, which will be distributed to class
members after the payment of court-approved
attorneys’ fees, litigation costs, administrative
expenses, and case contribution award; (2) attorneys’
fees of up to 35% of the gross settlement amount and
approximately $500,000 for litigation costs and
expenses; (3) $50,000 case contribution awards to the
Named Plaintiffs, Sandy Judd, Tara Herivel and
Columbia Legal Services; and (4) release of AT&T
from all liability arising from the calls at issue in this
litigation. The Settlement Agreement may be viewed
at www.sylaw.com/ATTsettlement.
How do you make a claim?
You may obtain a claim form by sending an email to
TelephoneCalls@sylaw.com including your name,
address, and telephone number and your request or
question or by calling 206-838-3210. You may also
submit a claim online at www.ratedisclosure.com. Your
claim must be submitted by June 7, 2013. A class
member’s payments will be based on the cost of all
qualified collect calls accepted during the Class Period,
plus $200. If, after the payment of fees, costs, expenses
and a case contribution award, insufficient funds remain
to fully pay all claims then each claim will be subject to
a pro rata deduction. If the Court does not approve the
Settlement Agreement, then the case will return to
litigation which may, or may not, result in a recovery.
What are your rights?
If you are a member of the class, you have the right
to object to, comment on, or support the Settlement
Agreement or the request for payment of attorneys’
fees, costs, expenses or case contribution award or to
exclude yourself from the class. You must submit your
written comments by June 11, 2013 to: (1) the Clerk of
the Court, Re: Judd v. AT&T, T-Netix, Cause No. 00-217565-5SEA, KING COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, 516 3rd
Ave., Seattle, WA 98104; (2) Chris R. Youtz and
Richard E. Spoonemore, Class Counsel, SIRIANNI
YOUTZ SPOONEMORE, 999 Third Avenue, Suite 3650,
Seattle, WA 98104; and (3) Charles W. Douglas,
AT&T’s Counsel, SIDLEY AUSTIN PLLC, One South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 80603.
You have the right to exclude yourself from this
lawsuit. To do call 206-838-3210 for instructions. You
may also send a letter postmarked no later than June
___, 2013 to class counsel containing your name,
address, and telephone number with a signed statement
that you want to be excluded from the class.
How can I get more information?
You may receive more information at
www.ratedisclosure.com or by calling 1-888-623-6176
or at www.sylaw.com/ATTsettlement.
