Scott v. Dunn

On May 8, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida, Michael Dunn fatally shot Mark Scott during a road rage incident. Dunn claimed he saw Scott reaching for what he believed was a weapon and fired in self-defense. The state charged Dunn with second-degree murder, but the criminal trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury. Jane Scott, the victim's widow, subsequently filed a wrongful death civil suit. In the civil proceeding, the jury was asked to determine whether Dunn was legally responsible for the death. The plaintiff successfully argued that Dunn provoked the confrontation and used unreasonable deadly force, making him liable for damages regardless of the criminal outcome.

The civil jury found Michael Dunn liable for wrongful death, awarding the Scott family $18 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

The central dispute was whether Michael Dunn genuinely acted in reasonable self-defense under Florida law or used excessive force, and whether he could be held civilly liable for wrongful death despite the criminal mistrial.

The case intensified the national debate over Stand Your Ground laws and the role of civil litigation as an alternative path to accountability when criminal prosecutions fail, prompting legislative reviews on self-defense immunities in civil suits.