At 6:00 PM this Tuesday, February 11, the Sangamon County Board will gather to hold its monthly meeting.
Among nineteen main agenda items are three related resolutions: Resolution 16 authorizes a contract between Sangamon County and Bloomington-based public relations consultancy firm Digitesse, LLC for the stated purpose of assisting with coordination of the Massey Commission. That work would be carried out through February to the end of September, with Digitesse authorized to receive no more than $76,800 over the course of the eight-month period for services rendered.
Resolution 17, meanwhile, would see Sangamon County enter into a settlement with the estate of the late Sonya Massey, in whose name the Massey Commission was established — in exchange for a payment of $10,000,000, the Massey family will agree to drop their case against the county for the killing of Sonya by then-County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson.
WHEREAS, acting through its administrator and its legal counsel, the Estate of Sonya Massey seeks redress from those (including Sangamon County and the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO)) it deems responsible for the shooting death of Ms. Massey on July 6, 2024, by Sean P. Grayson, then a Sangamon county Deputy; and
WHEREAS, while not the Estate’s sole claim against Sangamon County, one of the Estate’s primary claims against Sangamon County is that Sangamon county is responsible for satisfying any compensatory damages and related Estate attorney’s fees awarded at any trial; […]
[…]
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Sangamon County Board on this 11th day of February, 2025, that Sangamon County approves the aforementioned mediated settlement agreement and authorizes County Administrator Brian McFadden to execute those documents which are approved by Sangamon County’s legal counsel to effectuate and finalize the settlement of all of the Estate of Sonya Massey’s claims.
In the subsequent fallout after Grayson shot and killed Sonya Massey in her own home on a routine call, the Illinois State Police announced that the deputy’s use of deadly force following a threat to kill Massey over a nonviolent joking comment did not qualify as justifiable, leading to Grayson’s arrest and indictment on numerous charges related to murder and misconduct. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell promptly fired Grayson following the ISP’s determination, but pressure continued to build against the county for consequences. Then the family of Sonya retained nationally renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, seeking to pursue legal remedy against the county.
The settlement agreement under consideration on Tuesday is the result of negotiation between the county’s legal counsel and Crump’s firm; the $10M agreement, which was reportedly reached on Monday the 3rd, would likely require the county to issue bonds to meet payments, as the county’s existing legal fund would not cover 1/5 of the total dollar amount. However as far as settlements in wrongful death cases are concerned, $10 million is not above average — the webpage of Ben Crump Law, PLLC highlights some of the attorney’s highest profile victories:
- The city of Minneapolis, MN agreed to pay $27M to settle on the 2020 murder of George Floyd;
- Louisville, KY paid $12M to settle for the shooting of Breonna Taylor;
- Reportedly $10M+ over several years across several governmental agencies for the lethal beating of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson by guards at a Florida boot camp
- $10M from Columbus, OH for the murder of Andre Hill by a CPD officer
While the settlement was widely praised, many members of the board and community activists continue to argue that the payment is not enough to fully close the issue of Massey’s death. With many now dreading that the new Republican White House may nix last month’s agreement between the federal Department of Justice and the county, which required overhauls to practices at the sheriff’s office, calls are being made at the board and at the state level to formally mandate the reforms previously agreed to with the DOJ.
What’s more, Sangamon County and the SCSO are not fully out of legal hot water: as reported by CBS News, SCSO has been subject to dozens of abuse complaints over the past 20 years, with at least two wrongful deaths allegedly perpetrated by county law enforcement and corrections officers since 2021. At this time, the county is facing lawsuits from the families of Jaimeson Cody – who reportedly died after being asphyxiated by Sangamon County Jail staff in 2021 – and Dylan Schlieper Clark, who died of a staph infection while also being held in the county jail in 2022 after officers ignored his requests for medical assistance and watched him writhe in pain for hours before his death.
Finally, following the settlement vote, Resolution 18 would see the county declare its support for Illinois State Senator Doris Turner’s Senate Bill 1954. Turner introduced SBs 1953 & 1954 last year in response to the killing of Sonya Massey; 1953 would necessitate enhanced review of employment history for law enforcement officers throughout the state, while 1954 would enable the recall of countywide elected officials to be placed on the ballot either by the county board or by petition; such a recall would require the signatures of 5% of a county’s registered voters, or 1,000 registered voters, whichever is less based on the county’s size.
Part of what prompted SB 1954 was then-Sangamon Sheriff Jack Campbell’s reaction to the situation surrounding Massey’s death: Campbell denounced Grayson and promptly fired him once the ISP made it clear the deputy’s actions were indefensible, but asserted that he would remain in office as county sheriff for the remainder of his term. Community leaders called for Campbell’s resignation, deeming the sheriff responsible not only for the death but for a spate of poor administrative decisions which resulted in what has been called a culture of abuse. For several weeks Campbell remained sheriff until he finally relented to near omnidirectional pressure in early August, insinuating that he had been forced out due to politics and the efforts of “some individuals.”
On the subject of her proposals, Senator Turner told the press, “I’ve been committed to making the necessary changes to ensure our community has trust in those who are elected to serve.
“Sonya’s death should have never happened… Since that fatal day, I have worked with state and county officials, law enforcement and community members to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Alongside Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter, we created the Massey Commission to address systemic issues in law enforcement practices, mental health responses, and community relations.”
Both SB 1953 & 1954, says Turner, came about with the direct input of the Massey Commission.
At this time, the two bills remain awaiting committee assignment.
