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- A law firm has voluntarily dropped its lawsuit against Shiloh Sanders over $164,000 in unpaid legal fees.
- The lawsuit was dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning the company may re-file its claims against Sanders in the future.
- The lawsuit is separate from Sanders’ ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, which involve an $11.89 million debt to a former security guard.
The law firm that sued Shiloh Sanders last year over an unpaid bill of $164,000 has decided to drop its case against the former Colorado football player, without publicly explaining why.
Last November, the Burns & Thornburg law firm sued Sanders, saying the son of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders owed the company $164,285 and refused to pay the bill. The company sought a judgment against Shiloh Sanders in federal court in Dallas for that amount, plus attorney’s fees.
However, the case has been discontinued, according to court filings obtained by USA TODAY Sports. The company recently “voluntarily” and “without prejudice” withdrew from the lawsuit, meaning it could re-file its claims against Sanders again if it wishes. If Mr. Sanders had paid the costs to settle the case, the case would generally have been dismissed “with prejudice.” This means that the same lawsuit against Sanders will not be allowed to be filed again.
A lawyer for the company did not respond to a request for comment on why the case was voluntarily dismissed.
Shiloh Sanders’ bankruptcy proceedings remain pending
The lawsuit is separate from Sanders’ bankruptcy proceedings, which have been pending since he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October 2023 with more than $11 million in debt, almost all of which was owed to John Darjan, a former security guard at Sanders’ high school in Dallas.
D’Argent sued Sanders in 2016, alleging that he assaulted her and seriously injured Shiloh when he tried to confiscate her phone at school in 2015, when she was 15 years old. Darjean won an $11.89 million default judgment against Sanders in 2022 because Sanders failed to appear in court.
When Mr. d’Argent then moved to collect that debt from Mr. Sanders, Mr. Sanders discontinued the debt collection efforts and filed for bankruptcy to eliminate the debt so that Mr. d’Argent could have a “fresh start,” lawyers said.
Law firm provides services related to Shiloh Sanders bankruptcy
The law firm that sued Sanders last November said it provided services to Sanders “in connection with personal injury matters and bankruptcy proceedings.”
Before the company halted its case, federal Judge Sidney Fitzwater last month asked the company to “establish good cause” for failing to provide services to Mr. Sanders, or explain why it failed to properly notify Mr. Sanders that he was being sued. Instead, the company dropped the lawsuit.
Mr. Dargent is fighting Mr. Sanders’ efforts to have his debt forgiven and is scheduled to go to trial in the case on August 31st. Sanders, 26, claimed he acted in self-defense. He was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year after completing his final college season in 2024 as a graduate student.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
