United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Capobianco et al. v. The City of New York et al.,
Case No. 1:21-cv-06125 (LDH) (VMS);
Brennan et al. v. The City of New York et al.,
Case No. 1:19-cv-2054 (NGG) (CLP);
Aboubakar et al. v. The City of New York et al.,
Case No. Case No. 1:20-cv-01716 (ARR) (RLM)
Class Action Notice
Authorized by the U.S. District Court
There is a class There is a If you want to
action lawsuit settlement of this receive money as
against The City of lawsuit. part of this
New York about
the conditions in settlement, you
its Central Booking You are eligible must file a claim.
facilities. to receive up to
$475 per visit to If you want to opt-
Central Booking out of the
during the class settlement, do so
period. by October 5, 2026
• This is an important legal document. You should read this notice in full.
• To receive money as part of the settlement, you must file a claim.
• If you take no action, any ruling from the court will apply to you, and you will
not be able to sue The City of New York about the same issues.
• The “class period” refers to the period from April 8, 2017, to December 27,
2019 for detainees at Brooklyn Central Booking, and from February 3, 2020, to
March 1, 2023 for detainees at all Central Booking locations.
• If you were detained at a relevant Central Booking during these time periods,
you are eligible to receive up to $475 per visit.
• If you have questions or need assistance, please call 1-833-749-4297
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Table of Contents
About This Notice .................................................................................................................................... 3
Why did I get this notice? ..................................................................................................................... 3
What do I do next? ................................................................................................................................ 3
What are the most important dates? ...............................................................................................4
Learning About the Lawsuit ................................................................................................................. 4
What is this lawsuit about? .................................................................................................................. 4
Why is there a settlement in this lawsuit? .......................................................................................4
What happens next in this lawsuit? ................................................................................................... 5
Learning About the Settlement ..........................................................................................................5
What does the settlement provide? ..................................................................................................5
How will my payment be calculated? .................................................................................................. 6
Deciding What to Do .............................................................................................................................. 6
How do I weigh my options?................................................................................................................ 6
Getting Paid............................................................................................................................................... 7
How do I get a payment if I am a class member?............................................................................ 7
What if I believe I am entitled to more money? .............................................................................. 7
Do I have a lawyer in this lawsuit? ..................................................................................................... 7
Do I have to pay the lawyers in this lawsuit? ................................................................................... 8
Opting Out ................................................................................................................................................. 8
What if I don't want to be part of this settlement?........................................................................ 8
How do I opt out? .................................................................................................................................. 9
Objecting .................................................................................................................................................... 9
What if I disagree with the settlement? ............................................................................................. 9
Key Resources ........................................................................................................................................10
How do I get more information? ........................................................................................................10
CLAIM FORM ............................................................................................................................................11
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About This Notice
Why did I get this notice?
This notice is to tell you about the settlement of three class action lawsuits,
Capobianco et al v. The City of New York et al, Aboubakar et al. v The City of
New York et al., and Brennan et al. v. The City of New York et al., brought on
behalf of people who were detained in the City’s Central Booking facilities
during the period between April 8, 2017 to December 27, 2019 for detainees
at Brooklyn Central Booking, and February 3, 2020 to March 1, 2023 for
detainees at all Central Booking locations. The lawsuit claims that these
individuals’ Fourteenth Amendment Rights were violated by the
unconstitutional conditions of confinement at Central Booking facilities.
You received this notice because NYDOC records indicate that you are
a member of the group of people affected, called the “class.” This notice
gives you a summary of the terms of the proposed settlement agreement,
explains what rights class members have, and helps class members make
informed decisions about what action to take.
What do I do next?
Read this notice in full. Then, decide if you want to:
Receive Payment To get a payment via check in the mail after the
settlement is finally approved, you must submit the
claim form. You will be bound by the settlement.
Challenge Your If you wish to confirm the number of times that you
Payment Amount were held in a Central Booking facility according to
NYDOC records please contact the Settlement
Administrator.
Choose Your If you prefer to receive your payment via PayPal,
Payment Method Venmo or Zelle, you may select that option on the
October 19, 2026 claim form. You will be bound by the settlement.
Opt Out Get no payment. Allows you to bring a lawsuit
October 5, 2026 against The City of New York about the same issues.
Object Tell the Court why you don’t like the settlement.
October 5, 2026
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What are the most important dates?
Your deadline to opt out: October 5, 2026
Your deadline to object: October 5, 2026
Settlement approval hearing: October 22, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
Learning About the Lawsuit
What is this lawsuit about?
These lawsuits were filed in April 2019, April 2020, and November 2021. They
allege that, between the time period of April 8, 2017 to December 27, 2019
for detainees at Brooklyn Central Booking, and February 3, 2020 to March
1, 2023 for detainees at all Central Booking locations.The City of New
York detained plaintiffs in unconstitutional conditions and therefore violated their
rights under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The City of New York denies that it did anything wrong but has agreed to
settle the lawsuit on a class-wide basis.
Why is there a settlement in this lawsuit?
In May 2026, the parties agreed to settle, What is a class action
which means they have reached an settlement?
agreement to resolve the lawsuit. Both sides A class action settlement is
want to avoid the risk and expense of an agreement between
further litigation. the parties to resolve and
end the case. Settlements
The settlement is on behalf of the Class
can provide money to
Representatives, who brought the cases,
class members who were
and all members of the settlement classes.
harmed.
The Court has not decided in favor of either
side.
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What happens next in this lawsuit?
The Court will hold a Fairness hearing to decide whether to approve the
settlement. The hearing will be held at:
Where: United States Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza E, Brooklyn, NY
11201
When: October 22, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
This date may change without further notice to the class. Please check
www.CentralBookingSettlement.com to confirm the hearing date and time.
The Court has directed the parties to send you this notice about the
proposed settlement. Because the settlement of a class action decides the
rights of all members of the proposed class, the Court must give final
approval to the settlement before it can take effect. Payments will be made
only if the Court approves the settlement.
You don’t have to attend the hearing, but you may do so at your own
expense. You may also ask the Court for permission to speak about the
settlement at the hearing. If the Court does not approve the settlement, it
will be void and the lawsuit will continue.
Learning About the Settlement
What does the settlement provide?
The City of New York has agreed to pay up to $21,500,000 into a settlement
fund. Class members will receive up to $475 for every time that they were
held in a Central Booking facility between the time period between April 8,
2017 to December 27, 2019 for detainees at Brooklyn Central Booking, and
February 3, 2020 to March 1, 2023 for detainees at all Central Booking
locations. You may confirm the number of times you were held in a
Central Booking Facility by contacting the Settlement Administrator.
Members of the settlement class will “release” their claims as part of the
settlement, which means they cannot sue The City of New York for the issues
that were raised in this lawsuit.
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How will my payment be calculated?
Your payment amount is based on the number of times that you were
detained in a Central Booking facility between the time periods of April 8, 2017 to
December 27, 2019 for detainees at Brooklyn Central Booking, and February 3,
2020 to March 1, 2023 for detainees at all Central Booking locations (there is a
Central Booking facility in each borough of the City of New York). You may
confirm the number of times you were held in a Central Booking Facility
by contacting the Settlement Administrator.
If you think the number of detentions is wrong, let the Settlement
Administrator know.
Deciding What to Do
How do I weigh my options?
You have four options. This chart shows the effects of each option:
Challenge
File Claim
Payment Amount Object Opt Out
Can I receive a
YES YES YES NO
settlement payment if I .
..
Am I bound by the terms
YES YES YES NO
of this lawsuit if I . . .
Can I bring my own case NO NO NO YES
if I . . .
Will the class lawyers
represent me YES YES NO NO
in this case if I . . .
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Getting Paid
How do I get a payment if I am a class member?
You MUST file a claim form to get paid.
Payment will be sent after this settlement is finally approved by the
Court, likely by the end of 2026.
What if I believe I am entitled to more money?
If you disagree with the number of detentions for which you are being
compensated, contact the Settlement Administrator. Their contact
information is on the last page of this notice. They will consult with the
parties and get back to you with a final calculation. If you disagree
with their final calculation, you may object or opt out.
Do I have a lawyer in this lawsuit?
In a class action, the court appoints class representatives and lawyers to
work on the case and represent the interests of all the class members. For
this settlement, the Court has appointed the following individuals and
lawyers.
Your lawyers: Oren Giskan and Catherine Anderson; Giskan Solotaroff & Anderson
LLP, Richard Cardinale; Law Office of Richard Cardinale, Stephen Bergstein; Law
Offices of Bergstein & Ullrich, and Scott Korenbaum; Law Office of Scott
Korenbaum. These are the lawyers who negotiated this settlement on your
behalf.
If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your
own expense.
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Do I have to pay the lawyers in this lawsuit?
Lawyers' fees and costs will be paid separately by the Defendants. You will
not have to pay the lawyers directly.
To date, your lawyers have not been paid any money for their work or the
expenses that they have paid for the case. To pay for their time and risk in
bringing this case without any guarantee of payment unless they
were successful, your lawyers will request, as part of the final approval of
this Settlement, that the Court approve a payment of up to $2,950,000 total
in attorneys’ fees and costs. This money will not come out of the fund for the
class.
Lawyers' fees and expenses will only be awarded if approved by the Court
as a fair and reasonable amount. You have the right to object to the
lawyers' fees even if you think the settlement terms are fair.
Your lawyers will also ask the Court to approve a payment of between
$8750 and $15000 to the 67 Class Representatives for the time and effort
they contributed to the case.
Finally, Defendants shall pay all settlement administration costs of the Settlement.
This money will not come out of the fund for the class.
Opting Out
What if I don't want to be part of this settlement?
You can opt out. If you do, you will not receive payment and cannot object to
the settlement. However, you will not be bound or affected by anything that
happens in this lawsuit and may be able to file your own case.
Unless you opt out, you will be bound by the settlement and its “release”
provisions. That means you won’t be able to start, continue, or be part of any
other lawsuit against The City of New York and the other Defendants about the
issues in this case. A full description of the claims and persons who will be
released if this settlement is approved is listed in footnote 1, above.
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How do I opt out?
To opt out of the settlement, you must send a letter to the Settlement
Administrator that:
(1) is postmarked by October 5, 2026;
(2) includes your full name, address and telephone number, and email
address;
(3) states that you want to opt out of the settlement; and
(4) is signed.
Central Booking Settlement Administrator
Attn: Exclusions
P.O. Box 58220
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Objecting
What if I disagree with the settlement?
If you disagree with any part of the settlement (including the lawyers'
fees) but don’t want to opt out, you may object. You must give reasons
why you think the Court should not approve it and say whether your
objection applies to just you, a part of the class, or the entire class. The
Court will consider your views. The Court can only approve or deny the
settlement — it cannot change the terms of the settlement. You may,
but don’t need to, hire your own lawyer to help you. To object, you must
send a letter to the Settlement Administrator and Court that
(1) is postmarked by October 5, 2026;
(2) includes your full name, address and telephone number, and email
address;
(3) states the reasons for your objection;
(4) says whether you or your lawyer intend to appear at the fairness
hearing and your lawyer's name; and
(5) is signed.
Mail the letter to:
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Central Booking Settlement Administrator
Attn: Objections
P.O. Box 58220
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Key Resources
How do I get more information?
This notice is a summary of the proposed settlement. To get a copy of the
settlement agreement or get answers to your questions:
• Contact the Settlement Administrator or Your Lawyers (information
below)
Resource Contact
Central Booking Settlement Administrator
Settlement Administration 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210
Philadelphia, PA 19103
[email protected]
www.CentralBookingSettlement.com
Tel: 1-833-749-4297
Giskan Solotaroff & Anderson LLP
Your Lawyers 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 8th Floor,
New York NY 10020
(646) 835-0773
[email protected]
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CLAIM FORM
• If you have questions or need assistance, please call 1-833-749-4297.
NOTICE ID: «NOTICE ID» Central Booking Settlement
«FIRST NAME» «LAST NAME» CLAIM FORM «Barcode»
«ADDRESS»
To submit a claim for a Cash Payment, please complete the form below, sign, and mail this form
to the Claims Administrator using the return envelope by no later than October 19, 2026.
You may also visit www.CentralBookingSettlement.com to submit a claim
Payment
Select from one the following payment options:
PayPal Venmo Zelle Virtual Prepaid Card Check
Please provide the email address or phone number associated with your PayPal, Venmo or
Zelle account, or email address for the Virtual Prepaid card:
If you have requested a check, and you would like it mailed to a different address, please
provide the address below:
___________________________________________________________________________
Attestation and Signature (all information below must be provided)
I certify that the information I have supplied in this Claim Form is true and correct to the best of
my recollection, and that this form was executed on the date set forth below.
Signature: ____________________
Date (mm/dd/yyyy): ___/____/______
Print Name: __________________
Social Security Number: _________
*If you prefer to submit your Social Security Number as encrypted, please submit claim at
www.CentralBookingSettlement.com.
If you have any unpaid child support judgments against you, in compliance with New York State
law, the City of New York will also assert that lien, which will reduce your payment.
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