Sonia Miller Van-Oort

Sapientia Law Group

Litigation Attorney Sonia Miller-Van Oort of Sapientia Law Group recently secured a $1.6 million settlement in Amy Sweasy Tamburino v. Hennepin County, the largest employment settlement in the county’s history. The three-year case involved workplace retaliation and whistleblower claims against elected officials and high-ranking administrators.

The case centered on allegations that veteran prosecutor Amy Sweasy was forced from her career after objecting to criminal charges against three police officers involved in George Floyd’s murder. Sweasy had told county officials that insufficient evidence existed to prosecute the officers for aiding and abetting second-degree murder, requesting additional time to gather evidence and formulate appropriate charges. She was denied that time and later faced what she characterized as retaliation when subsequent administrations removed her from her prosecutions unit and reassigned her to lower-level work.

Miller-Van Oort navigated intense litigation where every issue was contested. She conducted nearly twenty depositions, filed and argued numerous motions throughout the proceedings, and successfully won a motion to compel discovery when opposing counsel stonewalled. The attorney secured two significant victories at the Minnesota Court of Appeals, both reversing district court errors. The first reinstated the case after it had been dismissed on summary judgment. The second established precedential law on attorneys’ fees, with the appeals court finding the district court had undervalued the compensation owed for the successful discovery motion.

The case attracted significant media attention as it approached trial, with the presiding judge noting the proceedings would publicly reveal the inner workings of the County Attorney’s Office. Text messages and emails between high-ranking officials were disclosed, and several judges who were former prosecutors faced potential testimony. The parties reached settlement just before trial.

Miller-Van Oort utilized an alternative fee structure that made the litigation financially feasible for a single plaintiff challenging government officials with substantial resources. Her work enabled Sweasy to resolve claims involving discrimination, retaliation, and institutional accountability while preserving her professional reputation.