NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) _ A federal magistrate has approved class-action status for a lawsuit accusing southern Indiana officials of violating the civil rights of dozens of drug court participants.

The Courier-Journal reports (http://cjky.it/1u4u4tM ) a federal magistrate in New Albany on Thursday certified two classes of potential victims totaling 40 people in the suit filed by Louisville, Kentucky attorney Mike Augustus.

That suit alleges civil rights violations against participants in Floyd County's drug treatment program who say they were allowed to languish in jail without a hearing, attorney or other due process.

One of the plaintiffs is a woman who was sentenced to 48 hours in jail in August 2013, pending evaluation for her second diluted drug test. She ended up spending about five months in jail and the evaluation never happened.