Orange Beach
Orange Beach Is Defending at Least Four Lawsuits
A beachgoer who says a lifeguard truck ran him over, the estate of a man who died in the city jail, an attorney who says city officials defamed him, and the ongoing federal fight over bodycam footage from a 2024 police call involving the mayor.
Every lawsuit below is a set of allegations. None has been decided. Here is what each one claims, and where it stands.
The lifeguard truck
Mark and Christine Kelemen, a Georgia couple, say that in July 2024 an Orange Beach lifeguard turned a city Ford F-150 into Mark Kelemen while the couple sat in beach chairs. The suit says the driver acted "without checking his surroundings" and that the front tire ran over Kelemen's hips, back, abdomen and arm. They also claim the city did not follow its own rules for driving on the beach. (Gulf Coast Media)
The damages they itemize add up to more than $2 million, and they want a jury trial. (same story) The suit was filed July 7 in Baldwin County Circuit Court. City Administrator Ford Handley said city attorneys are reviewing it: "Because this is pending litigation, we are unable to comment on the specifics." (Lagniappe)
A death in the city jail
Clay Aaron Estes was booked into the Orange Beach jail on Aug. 9, 2025, and died there on Aug. 12. A suit filed on behalf of his estate says jail staff missed signs of mental illness and disability, and that supervision of Estes was discontinued after a shift change the evening before he died. It also says the city failed to train and supervise its jail staff. The claims include civil rights and Americans with Disabilities Act violations, and the estate wants a jury to set damages. City officials have not commented. (Gulf Coast Media)
An attorney's defamation claim
Harry Still, whom Lagniappe describes as a former Baldwin County attorney, sued the city, Mayor Tony Kennon, City Attorney Jamie Logan, City Administrator Ford Handley and former Police Chief Steven Brown for libel, slander, harassment and conspiracy. He says they defamed him in a city statement about his September 2025 arrest in an alleged attack on a Bay Minette councilman. He was found not guilty in May. (Lagniappe)
The city has asked the court to dismiss every count. Its lawyer's filing says, "Each of these counts are doomed to fail." (same story)
The bodycam footage
Orange Beach resident C.C. Moreno is suing the city in federal court for bodycam footage and records from a 2024 Labor Day police call at the Coastal Resources Building involving Mayor Kennon. After a March 31 ruling, four of her seven claims remain; Gulf Coast Media reports they include a free speech claim against Kennon personally. (Gulf Coast Media)
What it costs
The city has not published what it spends defending lawsuits or what it pays in settlements.
Questions Orange Beach hasn't answered
- What has the city paid in legal fees and settlements in 2025 and 2026?
- Which of these cases is its insurer handling, and has that affected the city's premiums?
- Has the police department changed how it supervises people held in the city jail since August 2025?
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