In one of Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC’s most notable victories, the firm successfully created a record at trial while representing the City of Chicago which resulted in the reversal of a $44.7 million jury verdict before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The case involved a novel claim that City policy failures caused an off-duty police officer to shoot his friend. The Seventh Circuit held that the City could not be held liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, reaffirming that the Due Process Clause does not require the government to protect individuals from private acts of violence. This decision preserved long-standing constitutional doctrine and secured a major win for the City and the firm’s trial team.
Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC secured a complete defense verdict in a high-profile Section 1983 case, where the plaintiff—exonerated after serving 27 years—sought over $60 million in damages. The jury found no liability on the part of the City or its detectives, marking a significant trial victory for the firm.
