Latino Residents Reach Settlement with City of Modesto and Stanislaus County on Equal Access to Municipal Services

A settlement was announced today of a major civil rights action challenging the allegedly discriminatory delivery of municipal services to Latino communities in Modesto, California. The suit was originally filed in August 2004 on behalf of Modesto residents and two neighborhood organizations by Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), Brian Brosnahan (formerly of Heller Ehrman, currently of Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman), Covington & Burling, and Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass. These primarily Latino communities have been excluded in previous annexations by the city that have benefited bordering areas; thus, they have remained unincorporated and without the municipal services that are provided to other residents, who often reside in adjacent neighborhoods.

KJ