Record Verdicts and Settlements

Published on: August 7, 2025

Miami Pilot Dies in Indiana Crash Last Week, officials say. What to Know.

A renowned pilot from Miami who was the 10^th woman to fly solo around the world in 2024 died in a crash in Indiana on July 30 while trying to repeat the journey, CBS News reported Wednesday.

Anh-Thu Nguyen, 44, died in Greenwood, Indiana, while attempting to circumnavigate the world in her Lancair IB-P named “Amelia.” In 2024, she secured the title as the 10^th woman to circumnavigate the world, making 25 stops all over the globe. Before her death, she had logged over 4,000 flight hours, served as a commercial pilot, and flew for companies such as Amazon, Boeing, Bombardier and Gulfstream.

The crash happened just before 11 a.m. when her plane began making several “strange aerial maneuvers,” according to media reporting. Later, the plane nose-dived into a grassy area about a mile southeast of the Indy South Greenwood Airport. The plane went down just a few feet behind a gas station. She was the only person on the plane at the time of the crash.

Published on: July 28, 2025

Therapist at Miami Substance Abuse Facility Faces Sexual Misconduct Charges. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A therapist at a Miami women’s mental health and substance abuse treatment facility faces several charges after multiple women reported that he assaulted them during private sessions, according to local media.

Manuel Enrique Garcia, 33, was charged with at least three counts of felony charges related to sexual battery on clients.

Two women reported to police, alleging Garcia had assaulted them during private therapy sessions, according to reporting from CBS Miami. One woman said she was threatened with “job loss and homelessness if she spoke out,” reporters said in the article. Another woman told police that she was assaulted and that Garcia threatened to change her records to harm her standing in court, which would prevent her from “reuniting with her child.” This was not the only time that Garcia had approached the woman in this manner, according to police.

Published on: June 16, 2025

Teen E-Bike Rider Chased Down by Enraged Florida Driver. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A driver faces multiple charges after police say she chased a minor e-biker for several blocks in North Florida.

Julia Kalthof, 65, of Palm Coast, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and reckless driving, the Miami Herald reported Friday. She was also cited for driving on a multi-use path and released on a $3,000 bond.

The incident happened on June 7 in Palm Coast, about a 60-mile drive south from Jacksonville, when emergency responders got a 911 call from a man reporting an erratic SUV driver following an e-bike rider on a multi-use path. Luckily, a Good Samaritan in another car blocked Kalthof’s SUV, allowing the 14-year-old biker to escape, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Published on: March 17, 2025

Miami ‘BusPatrol’ Citations Cause Controversy Following Thousands of Citations. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A program meant to enforce school bus laws was met with outrage from thousands of drivers who were issued citations and prompted a response from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

As of Friday, March 7, the program was suspended for citations given to those who passed school buses on roads with a median, according to a statement from Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz, who took office in January 2025.

“When I became Sheriff, I ordered a review of the program,” Cordero Stutz said in the post Tuesday, March 11 via X. “The review led to me announcing last Friday the suspension of median enforcement citations.”