Jury Awards Family of Botham Jean $98 Million in Amber Guyger Civil Trial Verdict

The former Dallas police officer did not appear in court, nor did she hire legal representation.

November 20, 2024

Members of Botham Jean's family, pictured here after Amber Guyger was sentenced in 2019, were in court again this week, seeking civil damages. Meredith Lawrence

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Editor's Note 11/21/2024, 7:02 p.m.: The article has been updated to reflect the accurate amount the jury awarded to Botham Jean's family.

On Wednesday, a jury awarded the family of Botham Jean $98.6 million after finding former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger liable for the murder of Jean in 2018. Attorneys for the Jean family had reportedly sought damages of $54 million.

Guyger was convicted of Jean’s murder in criminal court in 2019. She testified that she shot and killed Jean because she thought he was an intruder when she entered his apartment, mistakenly believing it was hers. Guyger lived one floor below the victim.

Darryl Washington, representing Jean’s family, explained during the trial he hoped this verdict would send a message to police officers about the use of excessive force. The civil trial began Monday, and jury deliberations began Wednesday afternoon. According to NBC 5, Guyger did not appear in court this week and opted to not have legal representation because she couldn't afford it.

“[Washington] said her absence was an insult to the jury and that she should have faced them and given them an explanation as to why she shot Jean,” the NBC 5 report noted.

The road to this civil trial was a long one. The city of Dallas was once named in the lawsuit, but was taken off in 2019. In October, Guyger was denied parole after serving half of her 10-year sentence.

Kelly Dearmore is news editor of the Dallas Observer. He’s held the position since November 2022. Since joining the team, Kelly has covered topics such as state and local politics, crime and public safety, education and immigration. A native Texan, Kelly has contributed to other publications including Texas Monthly, Dallas Morning News, Success Magazine and Cowboys & Indians Magazine.

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