🥑 The Avocado Pit

July 2026

A monthly newsletter from Avocado Legal Funding 

 

Greetings from the Grove 👋

Welcome to the July issue of The Avocado Pit. There's a lot to talk about this month — including a major court ruling this week that affects thousands of California sexual abuse survivors and the people who love them. We're leading with it because it matters, and because we want to make sure the right people see it.

 

Crank the AC, grab something cold, and let's get into it.

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⚖️ Big California Legal News

Judge Hands Survivors a Win in the $4 Billion LA County Settlement

 

If you, a family member, or someone you know is part of the Los Angeles County $4 billion sexual abuse settlement — the largest institutional sex abuse settlement in U.S. history, covering more than 11,000 claims from people abused as children in LA County juvenile halls, foster homes, and MacLaren Children's Center — this week's court ruling matters a lot.

 

What Just Happened

 

On June 16, LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed a motion asking Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff to freeze all settlement payments until December 31, 2026. Hochman claimed that as many as 81% of the more than 11,000 claims might be fraudulent and asked for a six-month investigation pause before any money went out.

That request was a devastating blow to thousands of legitimate survivors — people who were sexually abused as children in county facilities decades ago, many of whom are now elderly, sick, or living in poverty after waiting years to see this settlement reach them.

This week, Judge Riff rejected the DA's request for a year-long freeze. The court instead issued a short pause until July 25 to allow more briefing, then payments are expected to move forward. As Judge Riff put it from the bench, "This is among the most remarkable things I've ever seen as a legal professional" — pointing out that LA County's own counsel was telling him payments should proceed while the DA was saying the county couldn't be trusted to protect the funds.

 

Why This Matters Beyond LA County

 

Several things every California survivor and survivor's family should know:

• The settlement is still real. The county has deposited approximately $396 million into a trust. Money is coming — the fight is over the review process, not the validity of the deal.

• The DA's fraud allegations are not a finding of fraud. Allegations and proof are different things. Multiple plaintiffs' attorneys have demonstrated that some of the DA's "fraud indicators" were wrong — including clients with school transcripts proving they were at MacLaren Hall.

• California requires counties to destroy most juvenile records. If your records were destroyed decades ago, that does not mean you weren't there — it means California's record-retention rules erased the paper trail. Don't let that scare you off a legitimate claim.

• The AB 218 lookback window closes December 31, 2026. If you were sexually abused as a child in any California institution — juvenile hall, foster home, shelter, school, church, scouting program — and have not yet filed, you have less than six months to do so. After that, the window closes permanently.

 

Affected? Know someone who is? We can help.

Avocado Legal Funding works with vetted California attorneys who handle these exact cases — childhood institutional sexual abuse claims under AB 218, LA County settlement claims, and active women's prison litigation (more on that below). If you or someone you love was harmed and needs help, just reply to this email. We'll make a confidential introduction. No fee for the intro, no pressure, no judgment.

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🚗 Also Big: Newsom Just Signed the Uber/Lyft Reform Bill

SB 623 Will Change How Rideshare Crash Cases Work

  

On Thursday, June 25, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 623 — a major reform bill that grew out of a deal between Uber and the Consumer Attorneys of California. Both sides had qualified competing ballot measures for November that would have triggered an estimated $150+ million in campaign spending. SB 623 was the compromise that pulled both off the ballot.

 

The bill applies only to crashes involving rideshare services (Uber, Lyft) — not all California crashes. That's an important narrowing from Uber's original proposal.

 

What the New Law Does

• Limits medical-cost recoveries from lien-based providers in rideshare crash cases. Translation: if your doctor or clinic treats you on a lien (no upfront payment, paid out of your settlement), what they can recover at the end may now be capped.

• Prohibits the sale of medical liens. Some providers had been selling their liens to third parties at a discount; that's no longer allowed.

• Bans referral arrangements between attorneys and medical providers they have close ties with. This is meant to clean up a system where some lawyers were funneling clients to clinics they had a financial interest in.

• Requires annual criminal background checks for rideshare drivers and expands the list of offenses that disqualify someone from driving for Uber or Lyft.

 

What It Means for You

 

If you were in a rideshare crash and you're treating on a lien, talk to your attorney about how SB 623 might affect your recovery. The new caps and rules apply going forward and could change the math on your case. The flip side: passenger safety should improve with the new background check requirements, and the ban on lien-sales protects patients from having their medical debt traded around behind their back.

Either way, if you're in a current rideshare case or have been recently injured in one, this is the moment to make sure your attorney is on top of how the new law applies to you. Reply to this email if you'd like a referral to an attorney who handles rideshare cases.

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🔓 Chowchilla & California Women's Prisons

Hundreds of Survivors. Federal Investigation. Time Running Out.

 

Less well-known, but every bit as serious: nearly 500 civil lawsuits have now been filed across California by women who were sexually abused by correctional staff at state women's prisons. Most center on the Central California Women's Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla — the state's largest women's prison — and the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino.

 

The U.S. Department of Justice opened a federal civil rights investigation in 2024 that remains open in 2026. In January 2025, former CCWF correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez was convicted on more than 60 sexual abuse charges and sentenced to 224 years in prison. He had been on staff for 27 years. The first report against him was filed in 2014; he wasn't terminated until 2022.

 

The pattern is well-documented: guards exploiting positions of authority, retaliation against women who reported, supervisors looking the other way. In April 2026, California paid out a $1.9 million settlement tied to a 2024 incident where 159 women were detained in a cafeteria and assaulted with pepper spray, tear gas grenades, rubber bullets, and batons — allegedly in retaliation for prior sexual abuse complaints.

 

If You Were Incarcerated at a California Women's Facility

 

Cases are still being filed. Survivors of abuse at CCWF (Chowchilla), CIW (Chino), Valley State Prison for Women, Folsom Women's Facility, and Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood may all have viable claims. A 2022 California law extended the time victims of sexual assault by law enforcement have to file civil claims, and many survivors who thought their cases were time-barred actually still have options.

 

Reply to this email if you, a friend, a family member, or anyone in your community was abused while incarcerated. The connection we make to a vetted California attorney is free and confidential, and it could be the difference between justice and silence.

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🌡️ Weather Watch

Heat, Smoke, and Fire Season

RED FLAGJULY HEAT & FIRE

July is shaping up to be brutal. Above-normal temperatures are expected statewide through the summer, with above-normal large fire activity forecast for July and August across both Northern and Southern California. Fuels are dry, the snowpack melted off early, and dry-wind events combined with lightning are likely to spark big fires.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Sign up for Cal Fire alerts and your county emergency notification system. The first warning often comes by text.

• Pack a "go bag" if you live anywhere near wildfire-prone areas: important documents, medications, a phone charger, change of clothes, water. Keep it by the door during fire season.

• Air quality matters even if there's no fire near you. Smoke travels hundreds of miles. Check airnow.gov before outdoor activity, especially for kids, elderly, and anyone with asthma or heart conditions.

• Never park on dry grass. Hot exhaust systems start more wildfires than people realize.

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💪 Your Health = Your Case

 

Summer Slowdown? Don't Let Your Treatment Drift.

We see this every year. Summer hits, schedules loosen, kids are home from school, vacations happen — and treatment appointments start slipping. Carriers love the months of June, July, and August because plaintiffs miss appointments and create gaps in their records.

 

A quick reminder of why this matters so much for your case:

 

• A 30+ day gap is a defense talking point. Carriers will argue your injury "resolved" during any stretch you weren't seen — even when it didn't.

• Reschedule, don't skip. If a vacation or a heat emergency forces you to miss an appointment, call right away and reschedule for the same week. Document the reason.

• Heat affects pain. If you have a soft-tissue or musculoskeletal injury, summer heat genuinely changes how your body feels. Tell your provider — that's part of your medical record too.

 

Need help getting to appointments, navigating copays, or just want someone in your corner who isn't your attorney or your insurance carrier? Reply to this email. We'll figure it out together.

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 🏆 California Wins of the Month

 

Stuff That Made Us Smile

 

🎓 First-gen grads everywhere.

June was graduation season, and California sent another wave of first-generation college students out into the world. From Long Beach City College students transferring to UC's, to community college graduates heading into the trades, to high schoolers with full-ride scholarships to Cal States across the system — every single one of those kids is the start of something bigger for their family. If your kid, niece, nephew, or grandkid was one of them, send us their name and what they're doing next — we want to feature California's young people next month.

 

💚 Communities helping each other.

 

In the weeks after the Garden Grove chemical evacuation (which we covered in June), neighbors, mosques, churches, and small businesses across Orange County stepped up — opening doors, donating supplies, picking up groceries for evacuated families. We see this every time there's a crisis in California: regardless of politics or background, Californians take care of Californians. We never get tired of seeing it.

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🥑 The July Recipe

Smoky Chipotle-Tahini Guacamole

Mexican meets Middle Eastern. Chipotle brings deep smoke, tahini brings nutty creaminess, lemon brightens it all up. Perfect for a July 4th BBQ or a hot afternoon on the patio. Ten minutes start to finish.

TAHINI🌶 Mexico ✕ Middle East 🥑

 

What you need (serves 4)

• 3 ripe avocados

• 2 tablespoons tahini (Middle Eastern aisle or Asian market)

• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, finely chopped + 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce

• Juice of 1 lemon (yes, lemon — not lime)

• 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced fine

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

• Flaky salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

• For serving: warm pita bread, tortilla chips, or sliced cucumber

How to make it

1. Whisk the base. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, chipotle, adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. It'll thicken up — that's normal. If it gets pasty, add a tablespoon of warm water.

2. Smash the avocados. Scoop them into the bowl. Smash with a fork until mostly creamy but still with some chunks. Do not use a food processor — texture matters.

3. Fold it together. Mix gently until the tahini-chipotle base coats every chunk. Taste and add salt.

4. Top and serve. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and a final pinch of flaky salt. Serve with warm pita, chips, or cucumber rounds.

 

Pro tip: Chipotles in adobo come in a small can with way more peppers than you need. Freeze the rest individually on a sheet pan, then bag them — you'll have smoky single-pepper portions ready for the next six recipes.

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⚖️ Who Else Needs a Lawyer?

We Know a Guy (or Gal). Several, Actually.

In addition to the institutional abuse cases above, we work with vetted California attorneys across every practice area below. No fee to you for the intro. All cases are contingency-based — the attorney only gets paid if you win.

🛡️

AB 218 / Institutional Sexual Abuse

LA County juvenile hall, CCWF, CIW, foster care, school, church, scouting — if you were abused as a child in any California institution, the lookback window closes December 31, 2026.

🚗

Lemon Law

Car in the shop 2–3 times for the same issue, or 30+ cumulative days out of service? California Lemon Law may force the manufacturer to buy it back.

👷

Workers' Compensation

Hurt at work? You're entitled to medical care, temporary disability payments, and possibly a permanent disability award — even if it was partly your fault.

💼

Employment Law

Wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, unpaid wages, missed meal/rest breaks. California's worker protections are some of the strongest in the country.

🏥

Medical Malpractice

Missed diagnosis, surgical error, medication mistake that caused real harm. Time-limited — usually one year from discovery — so don't wait.

🚦

Car / Slip-and-Fall / Dog Bite

Someone else's negligence caused an injury? You may be entitled to compensation. Don't talk to their insurance adjuster before talking to a lawyer.

📋

Family Law, Estate Planning, Immigration

Custody, divorce, wills, trusts, green cards, citizenship. Different practice area, same network — we'll point you to someone good.

 

The ask: If you know anyone — a coworker, a cousin, your barber — who needs help with any of the above, hit reply with their name and we'll handle the rest. The cleanest referrals come from people we trust, like you. 🥑

 

That's July. Stay safe in the heat, watch the air quality, keep your appointments, and forward this issue to one person who needs to see the abuse-survivor section — that AB 218 deadline really does close December 31. See you in August. 🥑

 

— The Avocado Legal Funding team

 

Avocado Legal Funding

3333 Michelson Dr, Suite 300
Irvine, CA 92612

📞 (213) 944-4147  |  ✉️ guac@avocadolf.com

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This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not legal, medical, or financial advice. Attorney referrals are made to independent California-licensed attorneys; Avocado Legal Funding does not provide legal services. © 2026 Avocado Legal Funding. All rights reserved.