California Attorney General Rob Bonta asks court to place Los Angeles County juvenile halls into receivership
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is asking for a court to place Los Angeles County juvenile halls into a receivership after he claims they have failed to comply with enforcement orders.
Bonta made the announcement Wednesday morning at a news conference, saying he feels this decision is a "last resort." He explained that his office has been working for years to address the "unsafe and illegal conditions," but the county remains out of compliance.
"Today, for the first time in my office's history, we are asking a court to place the subject of a pattern-and-practice investigation into receivership," Bonta said. "These young people deserve better, and my office will not stop until they get it."
He is asking for all powers of the county to be placed with a court-appointed receiver to manage operations of the juvenile halls, including setting budgets and hiring and firing staff.
Bonta cited several incidents to support his claim of unsafe conditions at county facilities. In March 2025, Bonta said he secured a grand jury indictment for for child endangerment and abuse and for conspiracy for permitting, facilitating and encouraging "Gladiator Fights" in 2023.
He also cited a number of overdoses at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in 2025. Bonta said a court order mandated the county to improve its contraband-screening protocols. At the beginning of the month, a nonprofit worker was arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into the facility.
Los Padrinos and Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility have both been found unsuitable and the juvenile division of the Los Angeles County Superior Court has ordered the County to depopulate Los Padrinos, Bonta's office said.
According to the court filing, Bonta believes "less intensive interventions" have repeatedly failed and nothing about the county's record suggests more time will result in compliance.
Bonta is also asking the court to order the county to establish a compensation fund to "redress and repair the injuries suffered in the county's custody due to its noncompliance."
