[JURIST] Miami-Dade County [official website] has agreed to a $6.25 million settlement that applies to thousands of women illegally strip-searched at county correctional facilities, one of the largest civil rights settlements in the county's history. The settlement was approved Monday by a US district court judge. The lawsuit was filed by three women who were strip searched after being arrested while protesting the 2003 Free Trade Area of the Americas Conference. Under Florida law, only those charged with felonies may be strip searched, while those arrested for a misdemeanor may only be strip searched with probable cause. The settlement covers those who were searched from March 5, 2000 to Feb. 28, 2005. The county officially changed its policy in August 2004. The Miami Herald has more [registration required].