Florida Keys News
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Drowning charge dropped
Not enough evidence to prosecute Mearns in teen's death
BY ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff
alinhardt@keysnews.com

Prosecutors dropped a manslaughter charge against a Marathon man who had faced up to 15 years in prison in the 2011 drowning death of a teenage girl, Monroe County State Attorney Catherine Vogel said Wednesday.

There was "insufficient evidence" to convict Michael Randall Mearns, 26, of second-degree felony manslaughter with culpable negligence, according to court documents...

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Good old Boys

Submitted on Sun, 01/27/2013 - 2:47pm by Tina
I am really disappointed in our new State Attorney, Catherine Vogel, dropping the charges in the DUI Manslaughter case against Michael Mearns... This case was a very prosecutable case!!!! The State Attorney had already won a motion to suppress some of the key evidence...I guess it helps that the suspects attorney gave her a party, while she was running for the State Attorney Office. Then we have Michael Mearns, family who are on the Marathon city council... I guess girls can be in the "good old boys club too". NOT A GOOD WAY TO START YOUR OFF YOUR TERM MS VOGEL!!!!

I propose that we ban all vehicles.

Submitted on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 4:41pm by Get Real
Don't stop with just assault weapons. Vehicles kill more children every year than guns do. Get rid of all the vehicles and we will be much safer.

Congrats Vogel voters!

Submitted on Thu, 01/24/2013 - 11:07am by 666
Congratulation Vogel voters! Bubbas and connected locals are now free to commit crimes and fraud once again in The Keys! Ms Vogel will see to it that charges are dropped, news is contained, and unpleasant issues are swept under the rug. Why prosecute Mearns and go through all that trial and justice stuff when Vogel can just drop the charges and move on? No need to let a judge or jury see the evidence and decide if it warrants conviction. Those silly trials are just for new comers or people without connections. Welcome to the Florida Keys where crime is no problem as long as you have the right last name!

Don't be such a fool! WOW!

Submitted on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 8:19am by jorgee
I read these comments and I laugh so hard! A 17 year old??? Give me a break! Wake up and stop trying to put the blame on others! At 17 years old my sister and I knew damn better not to even get behind the wheel of a car after even drinking one drink! She sure was old enough to go to a bar with a man, and do all kinds of other things, am I right? Live reality and stop blaming others for mistakes made in life! You know what? No matter who you are, nobody will stop you from doing what you want to do! And that's what that woman decided to do and sadly it ended up in a tragic way! But that's life! Learn to accept and not blame others and move on! You have alot of life lessons to learn! And don't blame the BUBBAS! I know how the bubbas work! Vogel did the right thing!

That's what a trial is for

Submitted on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 8:43am by 666
We will never know, since Vogel swept it under the rug.

I AGREE

Submitted on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 2:01pm by duke
It would be incumbent upon Mr. Linhardt to follow up his report with an investigation of the relationship between attorney Mr. Schuhmacher and State Attorney Vogel. Although it may not be illegal, it is definitely unethical for a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Schuhmacher, to host and attend campaign functions for Ms. Vogel, and then negotiate this travesty of justice in his clients defense.

The article said he was with her for several hours

Submitted on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 4:35pm by Get Real
therefor he obviously knew she had been drinking. So how does Vogel say there is not enough evidance to show he knew she was intoxicated? Just another lie by our state attorney. All of you who voted for her should be very proud.

Back to business as usual in

Submitted on Thu, 01/24/2013 - 10:47am by Common Sense
Back to business as usual in the Keys.... your parents are connected, you walk. Not going to take her long to clean up the backlog in the courts. Just let the criminals walk. It's easier and you have a higher conviction rate. Congratulations citizens who voted for her, your already crime ridden streets are about to get worse!!!

Bubba Lives!

Submitted on Thu, 01/24/2013 - 10:23am by RSD
So a 26 year old guy picks up a 17 year old girl, takes her to his house and then a bar where she gets drunk, lets her drive his car, and she dies, and Vogel can't prove he did something wrong? Not much of a lawyer, is she? If the guy was me I bet she would do a better job.

WOW!

Submitted on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 8:26am by jorgee
At 17 years old, she should of known better not to drive! She was old enough to go to a bar, and do alot of other things??? Yes! At 17 a woman knows how to conduct herself! Stop blaming one for anothers mistakes! Let me guess, if she would of made it home with him that night, he would be arrested for having sex with a 17 YO??? And of course that was her decision too? Your another that needs life lessons! People need to accept responsibility for their actions! Not blame others! Sadly this ended in tragic way, but why would you try and ruin anothers life due to her own mistake? Wake up and live reality!

He gave the keys of the car

Submitted on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 4:39pm by Get Real
to a drunk teenager on a permit who was learning to drive. Hello Jorgee! Is anybody home? I think he should bear some responsibility. He could have very easily refused to give her keys.

Oh! Didn't know that!

Submitted on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 9:16pm by jorgee
Thank you for educating me on this, I only read some parts and maybe forgot some of it! Maybe he should of got some kind of probation or whatever. In the end, it's tragic for everyone involved! why ruin life by sending him to prison? I'm sure thats not what she wanted for him! They were having a good time and maybe he felt like she was pressuring him for the keys? Who woulda known? In the end, its an accident and I don't believe he should be punished but needs to understand responsibility! He's going to live with that now forever! That's enough punishment!

Finally justice in a Keys case!

Submitted on Thu, 01/24/2013 - 7:59am by jorgee
I been following this case and finally I see justice in the corrupt Keys court system! How can you even put this guy thru all this when he wasn't even driving? Wow! She made her own decision to drive! People in this world choose their destiny! Why would you hold someone else accountable for anothers stupid decision? I don't know if Hal Schumacher is still the attorney involved, but Hal is a great attorney and i'm glad to see real justice in Monroe County! To the citizens of Monroe County, reason I say "justice finally" is because i'm an old Keys resident and have been around a long time and have rubbed elbows with the "elite" of the Keys of which include high-power attorneys, police, city officials, etc... And I can tell you that most of these "elit" officials are all a bunch crooks, hipocrites, and drug addicts! To all future Monroe County residents, take your money somewhere else where it's more appreciated, I did and I couldn't have made a better dicision! T

aren't you the poster who defended

Submitted on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 11:31am by trapper
the trap poachers ?

Oh Look who it is! Haha!

Submitted on Fri, 01/25/2013 - 9:10pm by jorgee
Oh Mr.Trapper! How are you? Well I decided to take a look at the citizen and felt that I needed to comment on this issue! Just like everyone else, you know that's the beauty of America! Freedom of speech! So now i'll use my freedom of speech! I trully believe that you have a seriouse issue with yourself and others since you get really bioled when you don't like what you hear, I also believe that from my experience, you are somehow some kind loser cop! lol Am I right? Maybe so! Haha! With a name like "TRAPPER" it smells like cheap bacon around here! Haha! Get a life dude! :)

Jorgee; I was just pointing out that we recall your posts

Submitted on Sat, 01/26/2013 - 10:07pm by trapper
from the past. Among which you defended lobster poachers , try not to think so hard , Trapper is because I trap lobster . Police are something I don't need, I put my problems into traps. As I ask before , which correctional facility are you writing from ?

Oh no cop? No prob! Haha

Submitted on Sun, 01/27/2013 - 8:28am by jorgee
Well jeez your not a cop? You sure act like one buddy! Are you from the keys? Don't think so! If your in the commercial fishing business in the Keys and your not breaking law, well your in the wrong business! The only way you will make it in that business in the Keys is by smuggling, bringing in Cubans, looking for bales, etc. How can anyone be so ignorant to even be in that stupid business nowadays in the Keys where the gov keeps tightning the laws to push you out of it! Do you not see that? The fishing business is a done deal! And yes I defend whoever I want! Oh and one more thing, I'm far from being in a correctional facility! Haha your poor lil minds work so ignorant! I happen to be a very well known real estate investor who has done what most wish for in life! On the the other hand, can't say much for you since you have just said your in the Keys trap business! Now that has to be the most stupid business to be in down in the Keys! Good-luck! :)

Jorgee; remembering your defending crooks is easy

Submitted on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 2:30am by trapper
quite frankly I can't imagine you being able to put together a real estate sale from the examples of your posts. Your poor writing fails to convey any articulate points and a valid contract by your hand seems unlikely. I easily manage to obey the law while fishing and make a decent living . I believe what you meant was that poaching and illegal fishing is a done deal as the Goverment is sending your ilk to jail . Even Vogel can't save you from the Feds. So how is your parole ?

Ha your a funny guy!

Submitted on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 11:25pm by jorgee
And your right about one thing! I don't really know how to write out a real estate contract, but I do have a hell of a team behind me which include attorneys, contractors (which I own that company also) and just about all I need to accomplish what I need!See I know many people that are or have been in that stupib business your in, now how do you talk down to someone on my level when your out pulling slimy traps all day for chump change? You make a decent living? Gimme a break! Your a loser stuck in the past when people made money in the fishing business, and the money was made smuggling fool! And the smart ones got out and the dumb keep battling with state and feds over where to fish and how much your allowed! typical sucker! Don't cry anymore about your stupid traps! Your probobly getting robbed left & right out there every night! Loser! Get a real job and stop crying like a baby about your traps all the time! At the end of the day, anyone that calls themself "trapper" has to be a certified MORON! Well trapper, I wish you luck!

Here we go. The first

Submitted on Thu, 01/24/2013 - 7:40am by george
Here we go. The first connected name let off. Wasn't she a minor? Hadn't he been drinking with her or something? He drove into the water and the passenger drowned, how is that not negligent homicide? This is ridiculous. Send in the Feds, it is time for the RICCO act in the keys governments and public utilities.
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