The murder allegations against Kolalou and her absence from the civil trial (due to being incarcerated) were not disclosed to the jurors.
In 2019, a lawsuit was filed due to an incident that occurred on March 1, 2018, in Rogers Park. At the time, Kolalou was crossing the street in a designated crosswalk when she was hit by a #22 Clark bus. The bus had been making a left-hand turn at the intersection of Clark and Howard.
In her lawsuit against the CTA and the bus driver, Kolalou asserted that she had suffered permanent back injuries, which might require surgery. She also claimed to be regularly experiencing excruciating pain, rating it at a “10 out of 10” on the pain scale, in her lower back and legs.
Prosecutors accused Kolalou of killing her landlord, Frances Walker, in their West Ridge home, just four months before the trial was scheduled.
In a matter of weeks, the civil attorneys representing her made attempts to have the jury sequestered for the upcoming trial, but unfortunately, their efforts were unsuccessful. Nonetheless, they managed to convince the judge to prohibit the use of Kolalou’s name during the trial. The reasoning behind this decision was the strong bias against murderers that could potentially affect the outcome of the trial.
Despite having gotten divorced years earlier, Sandra White continued to live under her married name. However, during the case, she was identified as Sandra White, which was not her legal name at the time.
The trial culminated in a jury awarding Kolalou a $3 million sum, alongside costs, on February 27, 2023.
In May 2023, the CTA filed a motion for a new trial, citing Kolalou’s deposition’s poor audio quality, which was recorded inside the Cook County jail. Additionally, the CTA alleged that Kolalou failed to disclose her social media accounts. Court records confirm these claims.
According to a filing by the CTA, Kolalou’s social media posts depicted her engaging in various activities, such as cliff-jumping, swimming with dolphins, playing tennis, wearing high heels, and traveling to distant places like Egypt, South Africa, and Mexico. These posts were made despite her suffering from severe leg and back pain.
In the recent past, a new trial was conducted, and the second jury came close to delivering the same verdict as the first one. The verdict awarded Kolalou a total of $2.8 million, including costs. During the trial, an expert testified that the photos on social media did not contradict Kolalou’s claims of suffering from severe back and leg pain.
The CTA made an unsuccessful attempt to pursue a third trial, but they are not giving up and are appealing. One of the reasons behind this appeal is the argument that the civil trial should have been postponed until after the criminal case was resolved. The CTA’s lawyers are set to present a case stating that the accused’s life behind bars will have a different worth than if she were free, as she won’t be able to afford private medical services while serving her sentence.
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