Chelsea R. Winicki from the Jacksonville office secured a Final Summary Judgment in a nationally recognized case. Representing Rusty Rodgers, a Special Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Chelsea filed the Motion for Summary Judgment against a lawsuit brought by Jeremy Banks, a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Deputy. Banks alleged civil rights violations and intentional infliction of emotional distress under Federal Statute 1983 related to the investigation of his girlfriend, Michelle O’Connell’s 2010 death.
After the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office deemed O’Connell’s death a suicide, her family requested further investigation. Special Agent Rodgers, assigned by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, uncovered additional evidence, though Banks was never charged. Banks sued Rodgers in 2014, leading to years of litigation and high-profile depositions. Chelsea filed for Summary Judgment in March 2017, which the Federal Court granted in March 2018, dismissing the case against Rodgers. The case has since gained national attention, including coverage by Frontline, Dateline, 20/20, and the New York Times. Banks chose not to appeal the decision.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/17/us/michelle-oconnell-jeremy-banks.html