From the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office:
Statement Regarding Settlement in Rosebloom Case
The following are the Sheriff’s comments regarding a recent settlement in the case of a lawsuit filed in Federal Court by Ms. Jaqueline Rosenbloom against the Sheriff, former Deputy Jeremy Cassady, and three other deputies.
This case arose out of an incident that occurred on October 29, 2010. Ms. Jacqueline Rosenbloom called the Sheriff’s Office in extreme distress reporting an invasion of her home by ex-boyfriend Philip Monier. Monier was armed with a handgun and used Ms. Rosenbloom as a human shield, which resulted in her being hit by rounds intended for Monier. Deputy Jeremy Cassady was seriously injured from shots fired by Monier, resulting in forced medical retirement, and two other deputies were also shot in the incident. Mr. Monier was charged with multiple crimes arising from this incident and was convicted by a jury on eight felony counts, including four counts of attempted murder and aggravated kidnapping with a weapon. On January 20, 2012, he was sentenced to life without parole and consecutive additional sentences totaling 20 years in state prison.
On April 9, 2013, Ms. Rosenbloom filed a claim in Federal Court seeking compensation from the Sheriff, Jeremy Cassady, and three other deputies based on allegations of violation of her civil rights. Mr. Monier was not named as a defendant to the lawsuit. After months of protracted litigation preparation, including the provision of over 30,000 documents, an estimated 2,400 plus plaintiff attorney hours, and more than one hundred hours of depositions and interviews, the case was set to be tried in Panama City earlier this month. The Florida Sheriff’s Association-sponsored Risk Management Fund made the business decision to settle the lawsuit for $975,000.00, of which $10,000 is paid from the Sheriff’s budget. This settlement avoided the risk of an adverse jury finding and judgment that would include the requirement to pay the extensive attorney fees incurred by Ms. Rosenbloom’s litigation team, and also avoided potential costly appellate litigation, possibly to the Supreme Court.
“This was purely a business decision†said Sheriff Morgan. “This is not a concession of any fault or misconduct by this Office or any of the deputies involved, each of whom demonstrated extraordinary bravery by risking, and, in the case of former Deputy Jeremy Cassady, nearly losing their lives in their effort to rescue Ms. Rosenbloom.â€
There is a “non-disparagement†clause in the settlement that precludes discussion of any other details or reasons for the settlement.