Marc Betinsky

Marc knows litigation. He spent more than 11 years as the career law clerk for Judge Richard H. Kyle in the federal district court in Minnesota. There, he served as the Judge’s chief advisor on a wide variety of civil and criminal litigation, including numerous cases alleging police misconduct and other civil-rights violations. His deep knowledge of court proceedings and judicial preferences allows him to collaborate effectively with other attorneys on critical motion, trial, and appellate strategies. Marc also has experience working for federal judges in Florida and New York, and previously handled commercial disputes and employment cases for several of the country’s largest law firms.

Marc graduated from Cornell Law School and received his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Florida, where he served as the lone math tutor for the Gators’ athletic teams. He enjoys leveraging his unique skills to help clients solve problems in a pragmatic and expeditious manner.

Education

• Cornell Law School, J.D. with honors
• University of Florida, B.S. in Mathematics, with high honors 

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.

$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.: 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.

$1.2 Million Settlement; Cole v. Does: Robins Kaplan civil rights attorneys resolved a case brought on behalf of two decorated journalists, Carolyn Cole and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, against members of the Minnesota State Patrol who surrounded and pepper-sprayed them while they covered the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder for the LA Times. The State Patrol agreed to a $1,200,000 settlement. 

$600,000 Settlement; Fyle v. City of Duluth et al.: In June 2024, Duluth’s City Council approved a $600,000 settlement brought against the City and one of its officers. In September 2020, Jared Fyle was shot in the back while unarmed and inside his apartment. Two officers approached the apartment after a civil dispute. One officer blindly fired several shots through Mr. Fyle’s door after hearing two loud bangs coming from inside. One of the bullets wounded the 23-year-old, hitting him in the shoulder.

$550K Settlement; Myles Regenold v. City of Ankeny: Secured a $550,000 settlement in a wrongful shooting lawsuit. In 2019, Myles Regenold was not resisting arrest when police officers shot him in the arm, leaving him with permanent impairment. Audio from a body worn camera as well the location of the injury, implying Regenold was in a surrender pose, contributed to a successful settlement for our client, and the Robins Kaplan civil rights team.

$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.

$270K Settlement; Mensing v. City of Mankato, et al. U.S. Federal Court (2019): Our client had consumed drinks and food on a night out before police responded to a report of an intoxicated man. Our client complied with police commands, but upon exited the establishment the officer placed our client’s left arm into an iron wrist lock which resulted in a complex fracture requiring open surgery to repair. Our client was never charged for a crime and incurred extensive medical bills and loss of wages.

$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)

$1.8 Million; Huber v. Sobiech et al. U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2018): Federal civil rights action brought on behalf of the next of kin of Brett Huber, Jr., who hanged himself at the Todd County Jail in June 2017 after manifesting symptoms of serious mental health problems over a three-month period. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

$350,000; Olesen v. Roddy et al. 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 attack was captured on drone video. The 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)

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2024-2025 editions)
• Named an "Attorney of the Year" by Minnesota Lawyer (2023)
• Listed in "500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers," Lawdragon (2023-2024)
• Named a “North Star Lawyer” by the Minnesota State Bar Association for providing at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services (2021-2022)

Civic

• Member, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel (2022)
• Member, Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter, Mentorship Committee (2022-2023); Civil Discovery Committee (2023-present); Communications Committee (2010-2013)

Professional

• Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter
• Minnesota State Bar Association
• Minnesota Association for Justice
• American Association for Justice
• Federal Bar Association, Civil Rights section
  
   

Speeches

• Can You Keep a Secret? Privacy Laws and Civil Litigation
  Federal Bar Association’s Minnesota Chapter, Minneapolis, Minnesota (December 3, 2024)
• Threats to the Rule of Law – Perspectives from the Bench
  Moderator, ​Robins Kaplan LLP Trial Advocacy Seminar, Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 30, 2024)
• Civil Discovery ‘Jeopardy!’
  48th Annual Federal Practice Seminar, Minneapolis, MN (June 11, 2024)

Articles

• "Commentary: Making the Whole Truth Public," Minnesota Lawyer (July 15, 2024)
• "To Seize or Not to Seize: Campus Protests and Police Uses of Force," Robins Kaplan Justice Report, vol. 18 no. 2 (June 2024)
• “Bugs In The Office: Are Surreptitious Tape Recordings By Employees Discoverable? If So, What Happens Next?,” N.Y. Employment Law & Practice, vol. 5, no. 1 (Nov. 2003).
• “Defenses In Year 2000 Litigation: New Technology, Old Theories,” 5 B.U. J. Sci. & Tech. L. 2 (1999) (co-author).
• “Personal Jurisdiction: If The (International) Shoe Fits, Wear It – But Does It Fit The Net?” Journal of Internet Law, July 1999, at 17 (co-author).

Media Mentions

• "Minnesota Lawyer Announces Attorneys of the Year," Minnesota Lawyer (December 21, 2023)