In a period marked by heightened racial tension 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 achievement, a seven hundred seventy nine point three million dollar wrongful death verdict for the killing of security guard Lewis Butler, stands as a direct challenge to a system that has often treated negligence toward Black workers as an acceptable consequence of doing business.
Butler, age fifty one, was killed during an armed robbery in two thousand twenty three at an internet café in Havana, Florida. Evidence presented at trial showed that the café, operated by Fortune MGT twenty twenty three LLC and Manish Kumar Patel, failed to report a previous armed robbery on October twenty fifth of that year during which a firearm was stolen. According to the complaint, the owners concealed the earlier robbery because managers allegedly knew illegal gambling was taking place inside the establishment. The same stolen weapon was later used to kill Butler as he attempted to protect a cashier.
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For his widow, Kimberly Butler, the verdict is only one step toward the accountability she believes must come next. She emphasized that change is needed and attention must be brought to the conditions that allowed her husband to be placed in harm’s way. She noted that Butler willingly put himself in the line of danger to save another person’s life.
Crump, often described as Black America’s Attorney General for the influence of his civil rights work, reflected on the significance of the jury’s decision. He said the verdict carries immense meaning. Its primary purpose is to compensate the family for the tremendous loss they have suffered and to correct an equally tremendous wrong. He also highlighted Kimberly Butler’s commitment to pursuing reform in the aftermath of her husband’s death.
Crump stated that Kimberly Butler has been working to have internet gambling cafés shut down because she views them as environments that attract criminal activity. He added that securing payment on the judgment will be an ongoing challenge, but one he intends to pursue with determination. He explained that his team plans to obtain compensation for the family through all available legal avenues, including liens and garnishments, to ensure accountability from those the jury found responsible for this preventable tragedy.
The verdict, nearing seven hundred eighty million dollars, ranks among the largest negligent security wrongful death awards in the history of Florida. It comes at a moment when access to justice is becoming more difficult for marginalized communities and when federal civil rights enforcement has been weakened.
Crump’s record reflects a consistent demand for accountability. He has represented the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. He has also represented the children of Flint along with nine Black women in the Holtzclaw sexual assault case. His work helped secure a twenty seven million dollar settlement for the Floyd family, a twelve million dollar settlement for the Taylor family, a six hundred forty one million dollar settlement for children affected by the Flint water crisis, more than two hundred million dollars in banking while Black discrimination cases, and a four hundred eleven million dollar verdict for Duane Washington.
Beyond the courtroom, Crump has pledged fifty thousand dollars to support the Black Press of America, strengthening institutions that preserve Black history, Black truth, and Black storytelling. His continued advocacy is one of the reasons he is widely regarded as Black America’s Attorney General.
Crump is scheduled to appear on the Black Press of America’s Let It Be Known news program at eight thirty a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, December eleventh.
