Q: After reading an article about Laquan McDonald, the slain Chicago teen, and his “broken” and “troubled” family, who in the family received the $5 million settlement made by Chicago? From what I concluded, there was no family life or structure provided for this young man.
—William Brown, Dunwoody
A: Tina Hunter, McDonald's mother, receives $2.25 million of the $5 settlement from the city in McDonald's shooting death.
She will receive $2,821 a month for the next 20 years.
McDonald’s 15-year-old sister will receive $2.75 million, divided into monthly payments until 2060.
Hunter hired attorneys Jeffrey J. Neslund and Michael D. Robbins to investigate McDonald’s death, signing an agreement to give them 40 percent of any settlement or judgment.
Neslund and Robbins receive $900,000 from Hunter’s total and $916,667 from the sister’s payment, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
“Forty percent isn’t necessarily higher than usual,” Robbins told the paper.
A judge ruled last July that Joseph Weaks, McDonald’s father, wasn’t entitled to any money.
McDonald was a ward of the state at the time of his death, but Hunter was attempting to regain custody, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Neslund and Robbins initially asked for $16 million, or $1 million for every bullet that hit McDonald, 17, when he was shot and killed in October 2014.
Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges at his arraignment on Dec. 29.
A police dashboard cam recorded the shooting.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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