Personal Injury Law

Published on: July 28, 2025

Woman Sentenced in Child Sex Abuse Material Case in Florida Keys. What to Know.

Note: The names of the individuals involved in this crime have been excluded from this article to protect the victims.

A Florida Keys woman was sentenced to 13 years in prison this week after pleading guilty to various sex crimes involving children.

The woman, 37, pleaded guilty this week to sexual battery, incest and child neglect. She was arrested in January of 2024. Following her release, she will have to serve eight years of probation and will be subject to court-ordered supervision. She will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Published on: July 28, 2025

Millions of Aboveground Pools Recalled in Florida Following Toddler Deaths. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

About 5 million aboveground pools have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission following the deaths of at least nine toddlers since 2002.

The CPSC officially recalled the pools due to a compression strap surrounding the exterior of the pool legs that could create a “foothold, allowing a child access to the pool, posing a drowning risk.”

From 2007 through 2022, the children — aged 22 months to 3 years old — have drowned in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas, Missouri, California and Florida, where childhood drowning rates have soared in recent years. In data from the Florida Department of Health, it was reported that enough children drown in the state to fill several preschool classrooms.

Published on: July 7, 2025

Tour Operator’s False Driver Faces Arrest in Key West. What Happened?

By Leesfield & Partners

A man faces charges after police say he went on a drug-fueled bender and stole a Conch Tour Train on the Fourth of July.

Jonathan Patrick Winslow, 57, of Big Torch Key, faces a felony burglary charge and a further charge for theft of a vehicle. He was also charged with drug possession, a misdemeanor.

Police were called out to the Conch Tour Train Depot around 11:30 a.m. Friday after it was reported that a train from Conch Tours, a company that operates “train” tours through Key West’s Old Town, was stolen. GPS tracking was used to find the train around downtown.

Published on: June 27, 2025

Man, 23, ‘Vanishes’ on Utah Lake Following Jet Ski Crash, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A 23-year-old disappeared after he flipped on a jet ski in a Utah lake with his cousin, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The man, whose name had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon, was last seen around 5:30 p.m. on June 22 near a marina, officials with the Utah County Sherrif’s Office Search and Rescue team said via a Facebook news release. The man was riding the jet ski with his cousin, who was rescued by someone in a nearby boat.

The search continued until at least 1 a.m. on June 23. Some witnesses reported seeing waves between 2 and 3 feet high.

Published on: June 17, 2025

Florida Keys Charter Captain Faces Criminal Charges Following Violent Video. Here’s What Companies Must Do to Ensure Safety.

By Leesfield & Partners

An individual in the Florida Keys working as a fishing charter captain was charged after a violent video allegedly showed them stabbing a bull shark surfaced online.

Zane Porter Garrett, 26, of Stock Island, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty after authorities accused them of being the person in the video.

The investigation was conducted by officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after a Snapchat video showing an animal being stabbed was reported to authorities.

Published on: May 19, 2025

Fire breaks out at Florida Keys Boatyard. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire broke out at the Unique Marine boatyard in Tavernier Wednesday, damaging several vessels, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

The blaze was reported at around 2:35 a.m. Wednesday, MCSO officials said in an online press release. No injuries were reported in this incident.

Photos from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office show a vessel engulfed in flames after a fire broke out at

Published on: March 13, 2025

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

By Leesfield & Partners

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 well as for lying to the Coast Guard and committing Covid-19 relief fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Seaman’s manslaughter is a second-degree felony in Florida. Mcabe could face up to 10 years in prison for the seaman’s manslaughter charges, up to five years for lying to the coast guard and up to 20 years for the wire fraud.

McCabe is set to be sentenced June 12 before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.

Published on: February 14, 2025

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

By Leesfield & Partners

Attendees of the 19^th 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 freshly caught seafood from local fishermen like spiny lobster, Key West pink shrimp, stone crab, fried local fish and more. The fish will be used in signature dishes prepared by the fishermen and their families like smoked fish dip with crackers, lobster bisque, conch chowder and fritters. Other cookout favorites like hot dogs, burgers, and Key West’s signature Key lime pie will also be available to order.

What Can Go Wrong?

Published on: January 24, 2025

Key West Firefighters Complete Additional Training as Fires Continue to Rage in California. How Leesfield & Partners is Providing Aid.

By Leesfield & Partners

Amid horrific wildfires that have ravaged homes, wreaking havoc on the lives of thousands of Californians, Key West firefighters have completed additional training to improve their emergency response.

Firefighters in Key West recently completed their Florida Urban Search and Rescue Confined Space Technical Rescue training course, a lesson that teaches how to safely and effectively get people out of complicated fire situations. The course focuses on hazard analysis, risk assessment, training levels of personnel and the availability of external resources.

Providing Aid