By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
In an America shaped once again by racial hostility and the rollback of diversity protections under the Trump administration, renowned Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump continues to force institutions to confront the value of Black life. His latest victory, a $779.3 million wrongful death verdict for the killing of security guard Lewis Butler, lands as a direct challenge to a system that has long accepted negligence toward Black workers as an unavoidable cost of doing business.
Butler, 51, was killed during a 2023 armed robbery at an internet café in Havana, Florida. Evidence at trial showed that the café, operated by Fortune MGT 2023 LLC and Manish Kumar Patel, failed to report a previous armed robbery on October 25, 2023, during which a firearm was stolen. The complaint alleged that the owners concealed the earlier robbery because managers allegedly knew illegal gambling was taking place inside. The same stolen weapon was later used to kill Butler as he attempted to protect a cashier.
For his widow, Kimberly Butler, the verdict was only one part of what must come next. ‘There’s definitely some changes needed. Some attention needs to be brought,” Butler said. “He put himself in the line of fire to save someone else’s life.”
Crump, who has been called Black America’s Attorney General for the sweeping impact of his civil rights work, spoke to the weight of the jury’s decision. “The verdict means so much for different reasons,” Crump reasoned. “Obviously, we want to compensate the family for this monumental loss that they suffered, this monumental wrong that this jury verdict helped to have a monumental right.”
He also noted Kimberly Butler’s determination to turn her loss into reform.
“The second thing is Mrs. Kimberly Butler testified, since her husband was murdered, she’s doing everything she can to try and get these internet gambling cafes shut down, because she thinks that they are an invitation for criminal activity,” Crump said.
The celebrated attorney also made clear that collecting on the judgment will be a fight of its own, but one he intends to pursue relentlessly.
“We absolutely plan on getting some compensation for the family,” Crump proclaimed. “We may have to attach garnishments and liens to property and bank accounts, but we are dogmatic in pursuit of making sure we get compensation from those who the jury felt were responsible for this unnecessary, tragic death.”
The nearly $780 million verdict stands among the largest negligent-security wrongful death awards in Florida history. It arrives during a political moment in which federal civil rights enforcement has been weakened and justice is becoming harder to obtain for marginalized communities.
Crump’s impressive record displays a consistent demand for accountability. He has represented the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, the children of Flint, and nine Black women in the Holtzclaw rape case. His work contributed to a $27 million settlement for the Floyd family, a $12 million settlement for the Taylor family, a $641 million settlement for Flint’s children, more than $200 million in banking while Black cases, and a $411 million verdict for Duane Washington.
His leadership extends beyond the courtroom. Crump recently pledged $50,000 to support the Black Press of America, strengthening institutions that preserve Black history, Black truth, and Black testimony. It is one of many reasons he is widely regarded as Black America’s Attorney General.
Crump plans to appear on the Black Press of America’s “Let It Be Known” News at 8:30 a.m. EST December 10.
