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Botham Jean’s family has filed a separate lawsuit seeking to make the City of Dallas pay the $98.65 million federal jury award against former officer Amber Guyger. The award was entered against Guyger in 2024; the family’s 2026 claim argues that Dallas must cover it under an employee liability plan. The reporting available does not establish that a court has ordered the city to pay or that the family has collected the award.

What the $98.65 million award covers

On November 20, 2024, a federal jury awarded Jean’s family $98.65 million against Guyger. The Associated Press reported that jurors found she used excessive force and violated Jean’s constitutional rights. The award, announced by the family’s lawyers, comprised $38.65 million in compensatory damages and $60 million in punitive damages. It was a jury verdict, not a settlement. Associated Press report; Romanucci & Blandin announcement.

The verdict announcement quoted the family’s legal team as saying, “Today’s verdict sends a clear message that law enforcement officers who commit crimes cannot be insulated from the consequences of their actions.” That was counsel’s statement, not language attributed to the court. Romanucci & Blandin.

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Why the family is now suing Dallas

In a separate suit reported in March and April 2026, the family seeks payment from Dallas under the city’s employee liability plan. The family alleges that the city has failed to satisfy some or all of the judgment and must indemnify employees covered by the plan. That is the family’s legal theory; the coverage reviewed does not establish that a court has accepted it, ruled that Dallas is liable, or confirmed payment. NBC DFW report.

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Put simply, the $98.65 million verdict identifies what the jury awarded against Guyger. The later suit raises a different question: whether Dallas has an obligation under its plan to pay the judgment. A verdict amount does not establish that the family has received that money.

How the two civil cases differ

Issue 2024 federal civil case 2026 Dallas suit
Defendant Amber Guyger City of Dallas
Proceeding Federal civil-rights trial Separate suit reported in Dallas County
Question Guyger’s civil liability for the shooting Whether Dallas must cover the award under its employee liability plan
Status established by the cited reporting Federal jury awarded $98.65 million against Guyger Family’s payment claim; a city payment obligation or collection is not established

Dallas was dismissed from the earlier federal action in 2019. That ruling belongs to the earlier case; it should not be treated as a decision on the separate claim about the city’s liability plan. Earlier federal case docket; NBC DFW report on the later suit.

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Key dates in the case

  • September 6, 2018: Guyger fatally shot Botham Jean in his Dallas apartment.
  • 2019: A federal judge dismissed Dallas from the original civil-rights lawsuit.
  • November 17, 2021: The Texas Fifth Court of Appeals affirmed Guyger’s murder conviction. Texas Fifth Court of Appeals opinion.
  • November 20, 2024: A federal jury returned the $98.65 million civil award against Guyger. Associated Press report.
  • March–April 2026: Reports described the family’s separate suit seeking payment from Dallas under its employee liability plan. NBC DFW report.
  • October 1, 2026: The Associated Press reported that Guyger was granted parole. The Texas prison system determines her release timing; the parole decision does not decide the payment suit. Associated Press parole report.
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Does the criminal case decide who pays?

No. Guyger’s murder conviction and its 2021 appeal were criminal proceedings. The 2024 federal jury award was a civil judgment against her. The later suit concerns the family’s claim that Dallas must pay under an employee liability plan. These are distinct proceedings, and neither the criminal conviction nor the parole decision resolves that claim.

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