Michael Carney and Victoria Lopez, of our Ft. Lauderdale office, secured a favorable defense verdict following a week-long trial in Osceola County, Florida. The case centered around a series of admitted sexual assaults involving a youth athletic coach and one of his players, with the assaults occurring on the premises of a church, the defendant in the case. There was no dispute about the happening of these assaults, the assailant is in prison and will be deported upon release.

The focal point of the legal dispute was the church’s alleged failure to fulfill its obligation to provide security and background screening relative to the soccer program on its premises. Michael and Victoria asserted that the soccer coach was employed by a soccer program that would have its own responsibility to conduct background checks and provide security, not with standing the events occurred on the church’s property.