Petito suit, commissioner DUI case and more — 5 Sarasota, Manatee court cases to watch in 2023
Some court cases can take a long time before a conclusion can be reached either through a trial or settlement and people can be left wondering what happened to the case.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune put together a list of five area cases for readers to watch out for in the upcoming new year, with most expected to go to trial before the end of 2023.
While these cases are scheduled to move forward in 2023, it is important to note that can change as settlements are proposed or hearings reveal more time is needed to gather witnesses, and evidence and take depositions.
Gabby Petito’s parents’ lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s parents to go to trial
A jury trial for the negligence lawsuit filed by Gabby Petito’s parents against the parents of Brian Laundrie is scheduled for Aug. 14, 2023.
The lawsuit claims the Laundries knew about the whereabouts of their son following Petito’s death and may have been trying to get him out of the country prior to his death. In March, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie filed a motion to dismiss the negligence lawsuit which was denied by Circuit Court Judge Hunter W. Carroll in July.
Petito and Laundrie started a cross-country road trip in 2021 and Petito, 22, was later found dead from blunt force trauma near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Laundrie returned to his parents’ home in Florida, before disappearing. His remains, along with a note stating Laundrie killed Petito, were found on Oct. 20, 2021, in Myakkahatcchee Creek Park in North Port.
Petito’s family also filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit in Utah against the Moab City Police Department over the handling of the domestic incident between Petito and Laundrie.
Further coverage: Sarasota judge awards $3 million to Gabby Petito's family in wrongful death lawsuit
Possible new trial for Tydarian Moore
After a weeklong trial where the prosecution had only one witness testify, Tydarian Moore, 30, was found guilty of manslaughter with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Sept. 10, 2022.
Moore was found guilty in connection to the fatal September 2020 shooting of Antonio Wright following several disputes between the two. Wright’s romantic partner, Tiffany Willis, testified that Wright and Moore had previously had an altercation prior to Wright’s death over money owed due to damage to a rental car Moore had borrowed from Willis.
Following the conclusion of the trial, a previously unidentified witness contacted Moore’s attorney after reading a Herald-Tribune article about the trial. The man, Markus Kajuan Jackson, said he witnessed the shooting, and Moore’s defense counsel believe Jackson’s testimony could lead to a different outcome of a jury trial.
A motion hearing is scheduled for March 24, 2023, on whether a new trial will take place.
Defendant to stand trial in death of North Port teen killed in drive-by shooting
A teenager is expected to stand trial on Feb. 27, 2023, in connection to the fatal drive-by shooting of 18-year-old Micah Dankowitz, of North Port, in June 2021.
Navarius O. Mason, 16, is charged with murder in the second degree. Mason was scheduled to be tried as one of two co-defendants; however, 19-year-old Gavin Smith took a plea deal in late 2022 in which he is now expected to testify against Mason in exchange for about two years of probation, according to court documents.
According to the probable cause affidavit, North Port police responded to a shooting near Porto Chico Avenue on South Biscayne Drive, where they found the victim lying on the ground with a gunshot wound.
Officers learned Mason, Smith and three others drove to a vacant field to meet with Dankowitz and his friend. After arriving at the field in a red Nissan Cube, shots were allegedly fired from within the car toward Dankowitz, who was shot and later died at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
Jury Trial set for February in Manatee commissioner’s DUI case
On April 20, 2022, Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse crashed his white Ford F-150 into a tree, and two months later, the State Attorney’s Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit filed DUI charges against the commissioner.
Kruse pleaded not guilty to the driving under the influence charges. Body camera footage from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office showed that the deputy on the scene skipped field sobriety tests and allowed Kruse to go home despite acknowledging that Kruse showed clear signs of intoxication.
A jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2023, at the Sarasota County Judicial Center, according to court records.
More details: About day that led to DUI case against Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse
No trial yet, but case of interest in Manatee County
In September 2021, Manatee County deputies responded to a call about a shooting at a Parrish residence. Blake Meadows, of Parrish, allegedly told deputies he had accidentally shot his wife, according to court documents.
Meadows told investigators he was attaching a sling and holographic sight to an AR pistol and as he was placing it down on the kitchen table, it accidentally went off, shattered the glass door to the outside of his home, and hit his wife, the court document stated. Meadows' wife died from her injuries.
During the course of the investigation, conflicting evidence arose as to where the gun was located when it was fired.
Meadows is charged with DUI manslaughter with a weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As of right now, there is no trial date set, but there is another case management hearing scheduled for early 2023.
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Five Sarasota, Manatee court cases to be on the lookout for in 2023
