Judge seeks settlement in 'Alligator Alcatraz' civil rights lawsuit

A federal judge in Florida wants civil rights attorneys and lawyers for the U.S. and for Florida to meet next month to hammer out a settlement in a lawsuit over whether detainees at an immigration center in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” are getting adequate access to legal representatives. During a Monday status hearing, U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell set a conference for Dec. 16-17 in her Fort Myers courtroom. “I think we’re closer on a lot of issues than we were before,” Polster Chappell said.