News Summary
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed Senate Bill 8, securing $1.2 million in compensation for Marcus Button, who was injured in a school bus crash in 2006. The bill allocates a direct payment of $1 million from the Pasco County School Board, along with $200,000 to his mother. Additionally, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has settled a civil rights lawsuit over its predictive policing program, agreeing to pay $105,000 to four residents. These developments highlight ongoing changes in compensatory practices and law enforcement methodologies in Florida.
Tampa, Florida
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed Senate Bill 8, which secures a total of $1.2 million in compensation for Marcus Button, a man injured in a school bus crash in 2006. The legislation allocates a direct payment of $1 million from the Pasco County School Board to Button, along with an additional $200,000 to his mother, Robin Button.
The crash occurred when Marcus Button was just 16 years old. He was traveling in a friend’s car when a Pasco County school bus failed to yield at an intersection, leading to the accident. The collision resulted in severe injuries for Button, including a traumatic brain injury, vision loss in one eye, and significant behavioral changes that impacted his life.
In February 2024, the Pasco County School Board approved the $1.2 million settlement, which required legislative approval due to Florida’s laws that cap payouts against government entities. Under these laws, the compensation from government agencies is limited to $200,000 per individual unless the legislature grants an exception. A jury had previously awarded Button and his family $1.625 million in damages in 2009, blaming the school board for 65% of the fault in the collision. However, payout restrictions prevented them from collecting the full amount.
The newly signed bill also includes provisions that waive any government liens on Button’s medical treatments, ensuring that the compensation can be used in full for his care and related expenses. The bill received unanimous approval from the Florida Legislature on April 29 before reaching the Governor’s desk.
Separately, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Faces Settlement Over Predictive Policing
In another significant legal development, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has agreed to a settlement in a civil rights lawsuit concerning its predictive policing program. The program, known as “Intelligent Led Policing,” faced intense criticism for allegedly violating the constitutional rights of individuals based on algorithmic predictions of future criminal behavior.
The settlement requires the Sheriff’s Office to pay $105,000 to four residents, including Darlene Deegan, who reported harassment by deputies due to the program’s operations. The predictive policing initiative, which was active between 2015 and 2016, led to over 12,500 checks on individuals labeled as potential offenders by law enforcement algorithms.
The Sheriff’s Office recognized that the program infringed upon the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights of the affected individuals. A lawsuit was filed by the Institute for Justice in 2021 on behalf of the residents who claimed they experienced unwarranted harassment stemming from the program’s predictive methods. Initially, the Sheriff’s Office defended its use of the program as part of efforts to reduce crime but eventually decided to discontinue it amid growing legal scrutiny.
The settlement agreement prohibits the future implementation of similar predictive policing initiatives within Pasco County, marking a notable shift in law enforcement practices in the area.
These legal developments reflect ongoing changes in how government agencies in Florida address both compensatory practices in personal injury cases and concerns regarding civil rights in law enforcement methodologies.
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Additional Resources
- Florida Phoenix: Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Settles Intelligence-Led Policing Program
- Google Search: Pasco County Sheriffs Office
- Spectrum News: Governor Signs Bill for $1 Million Settlement
- Wikipedia: School Bus Accidents in the United States
- Reason: Pasco County Sheriff Will End Predictive Policing Program
- Google News: Predictive Policing
- Fox 13 News: Pasco Sheriff’s Office Settles Lawsuit
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Civil Rights
- WFLA: Pasco Sheriff’s Office Settles Unconstitutional Policing Case
- Google Scholar: Harassment by Police
Author: STAFF HERE TAMPA WRITER
The TAMPA STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERETampa.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Tampa, Hillsborough County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Gasparilla Pirate Festival, Florida State Fair, and Tampa Riverfest. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce and United Way Suncoast, plus leading businesses in healthcare, finance, and technology that power the local economy such as BayCare Health System, Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, and KnowBe4. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREJacksonville.com, HEREOrlando.com, HERESTPetersburg.com, and HERETallahassee.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Florida's dynamic landscape.
