Judge: Cohen family can sue Stephanos family in state court
A federal judge ruled that the family of Perry Cohen can file a lawsuit against the family of Austin Stephanos in state court, according to court documents released this week. The families of the teens have been largely at odds since their sons departed on a boat trip out of Jupiter Inlet in 2015 and never returned.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas lifted an injunction that kept Pamela and Philip Cohen from suing Carly Black, the mother of 14-year-old Austin Stephanos. The injunction was granted by the judge in March. Since December, the families have gone back and forth in federal court over a maritime law called the Limitation of Vessel Owner’s Liability Act. The act limits the amount of money for which anyone on the boat can sue to the value of a damaged boat. The 19-foot boat is worth $500.
The Cohen family previously said it wanted to go forward with additional damages litigation, according to federal court documents.
The federal case will be closed “pending the conclusion of the related, consolidated state court action.”
Black’s attorney, George Harris, said they do not have a comment at this time, saying it was not appropriate because of pending civil litigation.
The Cohens’ attorney, Guy Rubin, previously told The Palm Beach Post that under Florida law, petitioners have two years to file a wrong- ful death suit. The two-year anniversary of the teens’ disappearance is less than two weeks away.
On July 24, 2015, Perry and Austin left Jupiter Inlet on a 19-foot boat about 11 a.m. One of the boys sent a Snap- chat photo of an approaching storm. Witnesses said as boats were making their way back into the inlet, the boys continued out into the
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