The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $6 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by protesters wrongly accused as gang members.
The settlement, which was approved Wednesday, ended the claims against the county for all 23 plaintiffs. The province has not acknowledged any wrongdoing.
The chairman of the Board of Supervisors would sign the settlement and file it with the court later this week, according to district spokesman Fields Moseley.
The lawsuit was filed by people involved in an October 2020 protest against police actions in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It was submitted in 2021.
Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro member Keisha Acton spoke during a press conference on July 13, 2021, where attorneys announced a lawsuit would be filed against Maricopa County and Phoenix.
The complaint, filed in 2021, alleged that the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office “conspired” with Phoenix police to “surveil, target, unlawfully arrest, and maliciously prosecute” protesters in order to increase criticism of law enforcement to suppress.
Part of these efforts included attempting to prosecute a group of protesters for being part of a fictitious street gang, fabricating evidence and then presenting that evidence to a grand jury, the complaint said.
In addition to Maricopa County, the complaint also named Phoenix and the police suspects.
The Department of Justice reported on the case in their investigation of the Phoenix Police Department and found that police violated the rights of protesters.
All charges against the protesters were ultimately dismissed.
Former Republican reporter Chelsea Curtis contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter at miguel.torres@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County agrees to $6 million payout in protesters case
