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Articles Posted in Justin B. Shapiro

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Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Florida Keys Man Accused of Sexually Abusing a Minor. How Leesfield & Partners has Protected Children for Decades.

The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty for a Florida Keys man police accused of filming himself raping a child multiple times, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. Micheal John Demerjian, 36, of Big Pine Key, in the Lower Keys, was in custody on unrelated…

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Boat Captain Found Guilty of Passenger’s Propeller Death in 2020

A Marion County diving boat captain was found guilty this week of seaman’s manslaughter in the death of a diver who tragically drowned during a propeller malfunction in March 2020. A federal jury found Dustin Sean McCabe, 49, of Ocala, Florida, guilty this week on the seaman’s manslaughter charges as…

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Three Hospitalized Following Crash Monday on the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys

Three people were airlifted to the hospital following a head-on crash on the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Monday afternoon, according to reporting from local media. The crash happened around 2 p.m. between a GMC Denali pickup truck and a BMW SUV. Photos from the Miami Herald show…

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Boater accused in 2022 Crash that Killed High Schooler Ordered Not to Contact Victim’s Family

A circuit court judge ordered George Pino, the 54-year-old Doral real estate broker facing vessel homicide charges related to the 2022 boat crash that killed an Our Lady of Lourdes Academy student, to no longer contact the teen’s parents during trial. Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez granted the order…

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Couple, Pet, Rescued from Choppy Florida Waters. Here’s What You Should Know to Stay Safe.

Two boaters and their dog were left clinging to the hull of their sinking boat in the St. Augustine Inlet after rough waters caused the vessel to flip, according to authorities. “They had life jackets onboard, but the boat flipped so fast they couldn’t get to them in time,” officials…

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Florida Keys Seafood Festival Starts This Weekend. How These Events Must Keep Guests Safe

Attendees of the 19th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival should bring out stretchy pants for the celebration this weekend presented by the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association. The family-friendly festivities are set to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at Key West’s Truman Waterfront Park. On the menu includes…

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Four People Rescued from Sinking Boat off Florida Keys. What to Know.

At least four people were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Marathon, Florida, Sunday. Th incident happened about 11 miles off the coast around 5 p.m. when a distress signal reached the U.S. Coast Guard. A crew was sent out to find the 27-foot, sinking vessel and…

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New Bill Proposes Stricter Penalties for ‘Boat and Run’ Crashes in Florida. What to Know.

Several bills, including one to impose stricter penalties on boaters involved in crashes, have been proposed in the Florida House and Senate ahead of the 2025 start to the legislative session in March; here’s what you should know. The bill referencing the penalties was proposed by Sen. Ileana Garcia, a…

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Tallahassee Woman Dies in Florida Keys While Scuba Diving, officials say.

A woman died Tuesday morning while scuba diving with a commercial scuba vessel in the Florida Keys, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. The 56-year-old woman, identified at Andreas Shultz of Tallahassee, was diving at Molasses Reef off Key  Lago. Just before 10 a.m., she was found unconscious in…

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Tractor-Trailer Driver Allegedly on social media Before Fatal Crash that killed woman, 8-year-old son.

A tractor-trailer driver who faces felony charges in the August 2023 crash in Nebraska that killed a woman and her young son, 8, is now being accused of using Snapchat as he crashed, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. Justin Zoerb, 22, was charged with two counts of motor…

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