When a family mourning a loved one’s death hires the same legal powerhouse that secured $27 million for George Floyd’s family, it signals they’re preparing for a battle that could reshape federal law enforcement accountability.
The Million-Dollar Legal Team Behind the Floyd Victory
Antonio Romanucci didn’t build his reputation on small cases. The Chicago attorney’s firm, Romanucci & Blandin, has extracted over $40 million from government entities in high-profile police shooting cases. Their 2021 George Floyd settlement stands as the largest pre-trial civil rights wrongful death payout in American history. Now they’re targeting federal immigration enforcement.
The firm’s track record reads like a prosecutor’s nightmare: $27 million for Floyd, $10 million for Sonya Massey, $3.25 million for Daunte Wright. Each case involved disputed circumstances, media attention, and families seeking accountability from law enforcement. Good’s case follows the same playbook, but with a federal twist that changes everything.
Federal Immunity Creates Unprecedented Legal Hurdles
Unlike typical police shootings involving local departments, Good’s case falls under the Federal Tort Claims Act, a bureaucratic maze designed to protect government agencies. No jury trials. No emotional appeals to community members. Just a federal judge weighing evidence against an agency with unlimited resources and qualified immunity protections.
The shooting occurred when ICE agents conducted arrests in south Minneapolis. Department of Homeland Security claims Good struck an agent with her vehicle, causing internal injuries, before Agent Jonathan Ross fired the fatal shot. Good’s family portrays her as a devoted mother and poet who was simply in the wrong place during federal enforcement operations targeting what ICE calls “the worst of the worst.”
Three Investigations Complicate the Path to Justice
Romanucci faces a problem his previous cases didn’t present: competing investigations. The FBI, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, and Minnesota Attorney General’s Office are all conducting separate probes into Good’s death. Each investigation could potentially contradict the others, creating legal quicksand for any civil case.
The attorney expressed frustration with the overlapping investigations during January 15 interviews, calling them “unhelpful” to achieving transparency. Unlike the Floyd case, where Minneapolis city officials quickly moved toward settlement negotiations, federal agencies operate under different political and legal pressures. They don’t answer to local voters or face municipal budget constraints.
Sources:
Fox News – Renee Nicole Good’s family hires George Floyd legal team
CBS Minnesota – Renee Good family George Floyd lawyer legal representation
Star Tribune – Renee Good’s family hires law firm that won record settlement
MPR News – Renee Macklin Good’s family has hired lawyer