Minneapolis Minnesota Lawyer Kathryn Bennett

Katie Bennett

Partner
Member of Executive Board; Deputy Chair, National Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, and Civil Rights Group

Overview

Katie Bennett is often described as a “passionate fighter” and tenacious civil rights attorney dedicated to the pursuit of justice. Katie focuses her practice on federal civil rights along with catastrophic personal injury cases, taking on formidable opponents such as police departments, insurance companies, and other powerful entities. Katie skillfully advocates for her clients throughout every phase of the legal process and is dedicated to seeking justice for those who have been harmed. She handles complex cases including jail suicides, police shootings, and excessive force cases, as well as personal injury actions and wrongful death cases where individuals have suffered serious injury or death.

From a young age, Katie was inspired by her father, a nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury lawyer, who fights in the courtroom on behalf of the less powerful and marginalized. At Robins Kaplan, she has been instrumental in litigating record-breaking cases and is a champion in uncovering patterns of corruption.

Katie’s clients value her empathy and understanding of the hardships they are facing. Her intelligent, strategic and organized approach both inside and outside the courtroom alleviates their anxiety and worry, allowing them to prioritize personal healing and their families’ needs.

In 2023, Katie secured a record $12.2 million settlement for a client who suffered severe injuries, including arm amputations, while incarcerated at Scott County Jail, the largest recovery in Minnesota for Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment claims against a jail. Katie also represented John Pope and Zoya Code and secured settlements totaling $8.875 million, following horrific grievances of use of excessive force by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Their interactions with Chauvin predated George Floyd's murder by three years.

Notably, she also represented Justine Ruszczyk and secured a multi-million-dollar settlement, exposing systemic issues within the Minneapolis Police Department. The case highlighted problems such as a code of silence, victim shaming, non-compliance with body camera policies, and the failure of command staff to discipline the officers, revealing a long-standing culture of misconduct.

Recognized for her outstanding work, Katie has been named an “Attorney of the Year” by Minnesota Lawyer for her role on the Kucera Trial Team, a “Rising Star” of the Plaintiff’s Bar by the National Law Journal, and a “Minnesota Rising Star” by Super Lawyers since 2015. She was also recognized with the “Elite Trial Lawyers Firm Award” in the Civil Rights category by the National Law Journal.

Katie's determination and leadership extends far beyond the courtroom. Her grit, tenacity and leadership became evident during her college years, when she was elected captain of the St. Olaf Women’s hockey team and named to the MIAC Women’s All-Conference Team. She continues to seek new challenges, both professionally and personally.

Credentials

Education

  • William Mitchell College of Law, J.D.
  • St. Olaf College, B.A. in English

Selected Results

Representative Matters

$12.2 Million Settlement; Winborn v. Schneider et al.: In 2020, Terrance Dwayne Winborn was incarcerated at the Scott County Jail in Shakopee, Minnesota while needing medical care. His constitutional rights were violated due to the deliberate indifference of a registered nurse at the jail who chose not to provide vital medical care in the critical hours, nearly allowing Mr. Winborn to die while in the care, custody, and control of the jail. This alleged indifference allowed a bacterial infection to fester within Mr. Winborn's body, leading to a heart attack, purpuric lesions, septic shock, gangrene, and ultimately, the amputation of both arms below the elbows, and other devastating and permanent injuries. Scott County Jail officials failed to report this matter to the Minnesota Department of Corrections within the 10-day time period required by law and allowed 39 hours of archived video evidence concerning Mr. Winborn to be deleted.

$7.5 Million Settlement; Pope v. Chauvin, Arradondo & MPD: United States District Court, District of Minnesota (2023): In 2017, John Pope displayed no aggressive or threatening actions when Derek Chauvin struck him multiple times in the head before choking him around his neck and pinning him to the floor with his knee – the same tactic used to murder George Floyd in 2020. MPD was called to Pope’s residence for a domestic dispute where they found Pope on his phone, relaxing on the floor of his bedroom. During Pope’s tearful cries for help, none of the other MPD officers intervened during Chauvin’s use of excessive force nor did MPD in the aftermath having obtain video evidence of the incident.

$6.2 Million Settlement; Olthoff v. Warnygora, et al. U.S Federal Court (2020): On July 29, 2019, Shawn Olthoff was the subject of a CERT Team call-out. He was sleeping on his side, unarmed, when officers entered his mother’s trailer, and raised his hands in the air upon police command. While his hands were raised, Carlton County Sgt. Warnygora proceeded to shoot Olthoff twice in the armpit. He remains paralyzed from the chest down.

$5M Confidential Settlement: Represented a 71-year-old man injured in a semi-vs-SUV collision in Northwestern Minnesota, resulting in a $5 million settlement.

$2.75 Million Settlement; Green v. Does et al.: Robins Kaplan’s civil rights team obtained a $2.75 million settlement for client Deyonta Green, who was denied access to critical healthcare while incarcerated at Anoka County Jail, leading to severe and long-lasting injuries. Green, who struggled with addiction issues, entered the jail on February 5, 2022, shortly after his most recent drug use. Jail officials and medical staff were fully aware of the risks associated with opioid and stimulant withdrawal and the critical importance of properly utilizing and tapering medication-assisted treatment. Despite Green having a valid prescription for Suboxone, a medication critical for managing his withdrawal symptoms, jail medical staff refused to provide him with the medication. At the time of Green’s incarceration, Anoka County Jail contracted with MEnD Correctional Care, a now-bankrupt healthcare company, to deliver medical services. MEnD repeatedly failed to meet its contractual obligations, including providing adequate staffing at the jail. As a result, Green endured severe withdrawal symptoms, including tremors, nausea, sleep disturbances, and eating problems. His deteriorating condition was well-documented by jail staff, but no medical intervention was provided.

$2.3 Million Settlement; Lynas v. Stang, et al., District of Minnesota (2020): Our client’s son was struggling from alcohol and drug withdrawal while he was an inmate at Sherburne County Jail. He made it known that he was suffering mentally and having suicidal thoughts. Neither the Jail or MNeD provided the proper treatment or well-being checks. He committed suicide in his cell 11 days after his arrest. Robins Kaplan and it’s attorneys hope that the $2.3 million settlement will prompt jail reforms in the future.

$2.25 Million Combined Settlement; Bunker v. Keilwitz, et al.: United States District Court, District of Minnesota (2021): Secured a $2.25 million combined settlement at mediation for a jail suicide case. In 2017, our client’s daughter committed suicide while at Beltrami County Jail. The inmate made it known upon and after jail admission that she struggled with serious medical and mental health needs, including suicidality. Neither the correctional facility nor the MEnD medical staff provided proper care or took the recommended steps to ensure the safety of the inmate in the week leading up to her death.

$1.6 Million Settlement; Boudin v. Ottertail County Sheriff’s Dept., et al. District of Minnesota (2020): Our client, Kameron Boudin, was a victim of excessive use of police force when officers entered his home in 2018. Boudin was lying on his bedroom floor when an officer laid on top of him and began striking him multiple times in the face and forehead for not complying with police commands, which Boudin was physically unable to do because of the police officer on top of him. The force of the strikes required Boudin to receive surgery, including the removal and replacement of his face due to multiple fractures.

$1.375 Million Settlement; Code v. Chauvin, Arradondo, Johnson & MPD: United States District Court, District of Minnesota (2023): In 2017, Zoya Code was not resisting arrest when former MPD officer, Derek Chauvin, used excessive forced by slamming her head into the ground and torquing her handcuffed wrists upward and behind her head while she was face down on the ground. Chauvin then pinned his knee to the back of her neck and placed in “hobble” restraint with no just cause for almost five minutes. Chauvin and other officers involved were not disciplined for their actions.

$600,000 Settlement; Day v. Chauvin et al.: Katie Bennett obtained a $600,000 settlement with the City of Minneapolis for client Patty Day, who was subjected to excessive force and a wrongful arrest by former Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer Derek Chauvin and his then-partner, officer Ellen Jensen. In her Complaint, Ms. Day alleged that during an interaction with police in January 2020, she was violently jerked from her car by Chauvin and Jensen and thrown to the ground, despite being no threat to the officers. Her Complaint further alleged that Chauvin then assumed his signature pose, pressing his knee into Ms. Day’s back while she was handcuffed. The officers’ use of force resulted in Ms. Day suffering a fractured tooth, along with significant arm and shoulder injuries. As alleged in the Complaint, officer Jensen did nothing to intervene. These settlements follow other agreements reached with the City of Minneapolis involving Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of the 2020 murder of George Floyd. In lawsuits brought by the Robins Kaplan civil-rights team on behalf of John Pope and Zoya Code, Chauvin and additional MPD officers were alleged to have engaged in misconduct, the use of excessive force, and racial discrimination in connection with incidents predating Mr. Floyd's murder.

$400K Settlement; Fillner v. City of Rochester, et al. District of Minnesota (2020): Our client was unresponsive in the back of her minivan when a City of Rochester police officer reached in and yanked her out and onto the pavement in one motion. She sustained physical injuries to her upper right arm bone including displacement and the bone being broken into three or more fragments. Surgery was required to repair and additional surgeries may be required in the future.

$350K Settlement; Alayna Albrecht-Payton v. Brooklyn Center Police Department, et al. (2021): Secured a settlement on behalf of Alayna Albrecht-Payton, a passenger of Duante Wright, who was shot at a traffic light by a former Minnesota police officer. The fatal shooting resulted in a crash that left our client will multiple injuries, both physical and emotional.

$20 Million; Ruszczyk v. Noor, et al. U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2019): On July 15, 2017, Justine Maia Ruszczyk was murdered by Mohamed Mohamed Noor, a Minneapolis Police officer. Justine had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alleyway behind her home in the Fulton neighborhood of Minneapolis. Justine was murdered in the same alleyway. She was barefoot and wearing pink pajamas. She had not committed any crime. She had not displayed any aggression. She was unarmed. She posed no threat to Noor or his partner, Matthew Harrity, or anyone else on the scene. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

$2 Million; Nass v. Cass County U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2019): Federal civil rights wrongful death regarding the suicide of Darren H. Benais, Sr. who ingested windshield washer fluid while in a Cass County transport van – a fact known by numerous Cass County correctional officers. Despite the knowledge, none of the COs did anything to address Mr. Benais’s ingestion of the toxic fluid. Instead, Mr. Benais was left where he fell on the floor of his cell, writhing in pain until his death. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

$350,000; Olsen v. Roddy U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2018): Trevor Olesen suffered a prolonged police K9 attack on May 26, 2016 that resulted in gaping wounds to his right leg. A portion of the K9 attack was captured by drone. The drone video shows Olesen being viciously attacked by K9 Jax, who was deployed on Olesen by Defendant Roddy, a K9 handler and police officer with the City of Fridley. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

$2 Million; Baker v. City of St. Paul, et al. U. S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2017): On June 25, 2016, Frank Baker was viciously attacked by St. Paul Police Officer Ficcadenti’s police K9 and kicked three times in the ribs by officer Palkowitsch, while he was trying to comply with the officers’ orders. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

$1.75 Million; Sieff v. City of Chaska, et al. U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2017): On February 7, 2014 Dawn Marie Pfister was shot and killed by Brady Juell of the Chaska Police Department after obtaining a small folding knife with a 3 ¼ inch blade from Matthew Serbus who had held her hostage and menaced her with the same knife. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

$1.45 Million; Baxter-Knutson v Stearns County & MEnD Correctional Care, et al. U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2016): Federal civil rights action brought on behalf of the next of kin of Kyle Allan Baxter-Jensen, who committed suicide at the Stearns County Jail in December of 2010 after previously attempting suicide within the same period of confinement and through the same means – self-inflicted neck wounds using a jail-issued razor. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

Press Releases

Recognition

  • Seven Robins Kaplan Attorneys Named to Minnesota Lawyer’s Power 30
  • Super Lawyers Rising Star Katie Bennett
  • Recipient of the "Elite Women of the Plaintiffs Bar Award," The National Law Journal (2025)
  • Listed in "Top Women in Law," Minnesota Lawyer (2024)
  • Named an "Attorney of the Year" by Minnesota Lawyer (2023, 2014)
  • Named to "Top Lawyers List," Minnesota Monthly (2024)
  • Named to "POWER 30: Personal Injury," Minnesota Lawyer (2024)
  • Named a “Minnesota Rising Star” by Super Lawyers (2024-2015)
  • Listed in "500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers," Lawdragon (2024-2023)
  • Listed in "500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers,"Lawdragon (2025-2023)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2025-2023 Editions)
  • Named to National Law Journal's "Rising Stars of the Plaintiffs Bar" (2021)
  • Named to Law360's Access to Justice Editorial Advisory Board (2021)

Community

Professional

  • Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Hennepin County Bar Association
  • Legal Rights Center, Board Member
  • Minnesota Women Lawyers (Leadership Committee 2014-2015; Equity Committee 2016-2019; Co-Chair of Equity Committee 2019-Present)

News & Insights

In the News

Speaking Engagements

Legal Insights

Speeches

  • Lessons from Section 1983 Litigation: Making the Whole Truth Public
    Minnesota Association of Justice 2024 Mid-Winter Meeting (February 23, 2024)
  • Police Misconduct Litigation: Overcoming Lies and Unchecked Police Power to Get Justice
    Panelist, Minnesota Association for Justice 38th Annual Meeting and Virtual Convention (August 13, 2020) 

Articles

Media Mentions

Admissions

  • Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court, Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court, North Dakota

Insights

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