The civil proceedings towards the Sangamon County, IL, Sheriff’s Division and Sangamon County for the capturing dying of Sonya Massey by then-Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson has resulted in a $10 million settlement over the tragic and deadly interplay. Ben Crump of Ben Crump Legislation and Antonio M. Romanucci of Romanucci & Blandin dealt with the case on behalf of the Massey household.
Authorised by the Sangamon County Board on February 11, 2025, the settlement was mediated by ADR Methods and the Honorable Choose Kay M Hanlon (Ret.).
Legal professional Crump, Legal professional Romanucci, and the household of Sonya Massey issued the next assertion:
“The settlement reached by civil attorneys for the mindless dying of Sonya Massey brings some measure of accountability and closure to those that liked her, however nothing can take away the persistent ache, frustration and grief brought on by her mindless dying,” it learn.
“The usage of lethal pressure throughout that encounter is as gorgeous as it’s deeply, deeply unhappy. It’s the hope of Sonya’s household that her dying can deliver change and that the group will proceed to say her title, so nobody ever needlessly loses their life once more when all they’re asking for is assist.”
Along with the settlement, Illinois State Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Twenty seventh) launched the Sonya Massey Invoice HB3837 final week on the state’s Home flooring.
“It’s with an excellent sense of objective that I’m happy to deliver to the Illinois Home flooring HB3837, which seeks to make substantive change to how regulation enforcement candidates are reviewed earlier than they’re employed,” he said.
“The intention is to make sure those that are employed meet affordable requirements and {qualifications} and that any considerations about their skilled conduct at prior regulation enforcement departments or of their private lives are delivered to the floor. This strong course of is nothing in need of what our communities deserve in order that the precise individuals are in these vital public service roles. We do that in honor of Sonya Massey, so others like her is not going to be senselessly harmed or killed, and finally, we will construct better belief between all residents of Illinois and regulation enforcement officers.”
On July 6, 2024, Massey referred to as the police to her dwelling in Springfield, Illinois, as she believed there was a prowler on the premises. By means of what has been described as a sequence of chaotic occasions, Massey picked up a pot of boiling water and exchanged phrases with the 2 officers who arrived on the scene, together with Deputy Sean Grayson, who has been charged with firing the shot to the face that ended Massey’s life. From the time of the officers’ entry into Massey’s dwelling to her illegal homicide, the occasions all passed off in a matter of 45 seconds.
Grayson has since been fired from the division and is charged with first-degree homicide for her dying. Many questions have been raised since Massey’s dying concerning the regulation enforcement hiring course of in Sangamon County. Grayson had two private DUI convictions, and a number of other skilled considerations surfaced after the incident. Reviews point out Grayson labored for six departments in 4 years earlier than being employed by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Division.
The $10 million settlement comes on what would have been Massey’s thirty seventh birthday.
“We’re grateful for Illinois State Senator Doris Turner (D48th), who represents Sonya’s district, for introducing SB1953 and for Illinois State Consultant Justin Slaughter, Chair of Judiciary-Prison Committee, for introducing HB3837 final week,” the Crump and Romanucci assertion continued.
“Each payments name for extra strong background checks and the better sharing of labor historical past and private historical past for candidates to regulation enforcement roles. It’s squarely within the public’s finest curiosity that those that are sworn to guard and serve our communities be held to a fairly excessive normal earlier than being given a defend and a service weapon. Sonya’s household believes that any such background examine would have raised quite a few considerations concerning the officer who would later take her life, and in making a extra thorough hiring course of in Illinois that tragedies like Sonya’s might be prevented.”