DISCOVER THE TRUTH:

City of Dunwoody
has spent over 4 years and millions of dollars in protecting

a known predator within the
Dunwoody Police Department

Attorney Financing
for Lt. Fidel Espinoza

$86,063.44 in attorney fees for the resigned Lieutenant Fidel Espinoza in a single lawsuit.

This substantial amount covers legal representation for Lt. Espinoza in just one case. The total is expected to increase significantly following the recent involvement of three additional legal associates in Espinoza's defense case in May 2024.

Fighting Whistleblower Complaints

$605,153.02 spent fighting whistleblower complaints. This sum covers legal fees and administrative costs to address multiple reports of misconduct within the Dunwoody Police Department. The City has chosen to fight those who bravely came forward, draining public resources and perpetuating a culture of silence and misconduct. These costly legal battles raise questions about the City's priorities and commitment to transparency and ethical policing.

Total Legal & Litigation Spending

$1,241,267.90 is the total alarming amount of money spent on legal and litigation matters.

The recent $180,000 judgment against Fidel Espinoza could potentially increase the $1,034,270.14 total to $1,241,267.90, pending the city's liability.

This enormous legal spending raises serious questions about Dunwoody's resource allocation and commitment to addressing systemic issues in its police department.

Current Lawsuits


State Lawsuit 1: Bryan Castellanos v. Fidel Espinoza, City of Dunwoody
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EEOC 1: Brian Bolden v. Dunwoody Police Department
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EEOC 2: Bryan Castellanos v. Dunwoody Police Department
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Federal Lawsuit 1: Roger Halstead v. City of Dunwoody
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Administrative Lawsuit: Austin Handle & GA Department of Labor v. City of Dunwoody
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EEOC 3: Austin Handle v. Dunwoody Police Department
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EEOC 4: Roger Halstead v. Dunwoody Police Department
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(Pending) Federal Lawsuit #2: Handle v. City of Dunwoody
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(Pending) Federal Lawsuit #3: Bolden v. City of Dunwoody
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(Pending) Federal Lawsuit #4: Halstead v. City of Dunwoody
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Recent Jury Ruling

May 30th, 2024


$180,000 in damages awarded to Whistleblowers Bryan & Leila Castellanos against Lieutenant Fidel Espinoza. The jury found substantial evidence supporting the claims, marking a significant step towards justice and accountability.

~Castellanos v. City of Dunwoody, Dunwoody Police Department & Fidel Espinoza (2024)

Top (20) News Articles

Out of 30+ Articles, Sorted from Most Recent to Oldest

Fox 5
Ex-Dunwoody police officer wins sexual harassment lawsuit against former supervisor

June 7th, 2024

Read more

Dunwoody Crier
Ex-Dunwoody Police officer wins suit against supervisor

June 6th, 2024

Read more

Rough Draft ATL
Jury awards $180,000 in damages in former Dunwoody police lieutenant’s civil trial

May 29th, 2024

Read more

Rough Draft ATL
Ex-officers testify against former Dunwoody police lieutenant in harassment case

May 28th, 2024

Read more

Dunwoody Crier
State agency investigating former Dunwoody police official

May 16th, 2024

Read more

Rough Draft ATL
Former Dunwoody police officer claims text messages were consensual in sexual harassment lawsuit

Nov 28th, 2023

Read more

Dunwoody Crier
Dunwoody journalist sues city, charges open records violation

Dec. 12th, 2023

Read more

Rough Draft ATL
Petition asks Georgia House to reconsider resolution honoring retiring Dunwoody police chief

Jan 30th, 2023

Read more

Dunwoody Crier
Ex-Dunwoody officer wins $10,000 unemployment appeal

July 11th, 2023

Read more

AJC
Dunwoody whistleblower wins appeal to keep police certification

May 20th, 2023

Read more

USA Today
Georgia officer under investigation after exposing superior's arrest

Feb. 7th, 2022

Read more

AJC
Dunwoody police spokesman charged with DUI after neighborhood crash

Jan. 27th, 2022

Read more

USA Today
Police whistleblower: Solutions to end code of silence, retaliation

Dec. 27th, 2021

Read more

USA Today
Cop whistleblowers forced to stand alone against courts, other groups

Dec. 9th, 2021

Read more

USA Today
Searchable records show more than 300 allegations of police misconduct reported by fellow officers

Feb. 14th, 2021

Read more

Rough Draft ATL
Letter: Dunwoody Police chief should resign due to lawsuit, complaints

Sep. 7th, 2020

Read more

WNN
“They have corrupted and twisted the system.” Whistleblower of the Week: Austin Handle

Sep. 7th, 2020

Read more

AJC
Fired Dunwoody officer, 25, finds a following on TikTok

Aug 28th, 2020

Read more

Rough Draft ATL
Former Dunwoody Police officer sues city, officials in sexual harassment complaint

July 7th, 2020

Read more

11 Alive
Dunwoody Police internal investigation explicit messages

July 3rd, 2020

Read more

Get Involved

Contact Dunwoody legislators to demand justice for the whistleblowers and to ask them to stop using taxpayer allocated funding to defend bad actors and bad decisions within the Dunwoody Police Department. We do not store your email address or comments.
Use the button below to send an email and share this website on social media to spread the word.

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Subject: Urgent: Act Now to Protect Dunwoody Whistleblowers

Dear City Council & Mayor Lynn,

I am deeply concerned about the ongoing issues surrounding whistleblower protections and retaliation within the Dunwoody Police Department. It has come to my attention that significant injustices have occurred, and I urge you to take immediate action to ensure accountability and justice for those who have courageously spoken out against misconduct within our police department. We must protect the integrity of our law enforcement and support the brave individuals who risk their careers to do what is right. Please act now to address these issues and support legislative measures that protect whistleblowers.


Sincerely,

Your Name


Change Notes

Version 1.3a - July 3rd, 2024

  • Updated Amount of $ Spent
  • Updated Gauge Displays
  • Refined Pandding & Margins

    • Version 1.2a - June 11th, 2024

    • Added New Articles (Fox 5 & Dunwoody Crier).
    • Added Article Publisher Tag to each article listing.

    Version 1.1c - June 3rd, 2024

    • Added New Social Media Preview

      • Version 1.1b - June 3rd, 2024

      • Added Get Involved Section.
      • Updated Layout

      Version 1.0 - June 1st, 2024

      • Initial release with key features and financial overview.
      • Included social media preview and meta tags.
      • Added Change Notes section.