Jackson city council president says city will honor settlement in case of George Robinson

Jackson City Council President Aaron Banks said in a Friday statement that the city of Jackson still plans to honor a settle agreement with a woman who rejected the city's offer in the case regarding the death of her brother.

Bettersten Wade's attorney Dennis Sweet III stated in published reports that the city violated a "confidentiality agreement" that was part of the settlement by publicly disclosing how much the city would pay the survivors of George Robinson, 62.

But Banks said the city did not violate the agreement.

"The settlement was freely negotiated among the parties and signed by Bettersten Wade and Vernice Robinson, who had their attorneys with them throughout the process. The City did not agree to a confidentiality agreement and cannot do so, as settlement agreements are public records. The City intends to honor the agreement it reached and expects the Wade family to do so, also," Banks said in the statement.

Banks also said the City participated in a "private mediation" with the Wade family on April 12. The parties agreed to a settlement that was signed by the Wades and by the City, which then required approval from the city council.

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On Tuesday, the city council unanimously approved to pay Wade $17,786.25 in damages for a wrongful death lawsuit she filed against the against the city, three officers working for the Jackson Police Department at the time and American Medical Response, INC., an ambulance company in October 2019.

The lawsuit states on Jan. 13, 2019, Robinson was "brutally, viciously and mercilessly beat" by three, Black officers in the Jackson Police Department. The Clarion Ledger received a copy of the lawsuit after submitting a public records request to the city.

Robinson, who is also Black, was hospitalized later that night and died two days later. He died of a subdural hemorrhage caused by blunt force trauma, according to the Hinds County Coroner.

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According to WJTV, Sweet released a letter Wednesday stating Wade rejected the approved settlement and Wade intends to continue suing the city.

"Rather than approve such settlement in executive session, refer the Plaintiffs as "Doe" Plaintiffs, or otherwise have the identity of the Plaintiffs placed under seal, the City of Jackson chose to publicly disclose portions of the terms of its purported settlement. In fact, the City of Jackson appears to claim or infer some sort of perceived victory in agreeing to remit a certain sum for its outrageous conduct which culminated in the death of George Robinson," Sweet's statement to WJTV reads.

Wade is also the mother of Dexter Wade, who was run over by an off-duty Jackson Police Department officer in March 2023. Dexter Wade was later buried in a pauper's grave without Jackson officials notifying Betterston Wade. She has retained noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump in that case.

Calls from the Clarion Ledger to Sweet's lawfirm were not returned.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS lawsuit settlement rejected by George Robinson family