CLEARWATER, Fla. — Jeffry Knight, the man facing multiple charges in connection with a fatal 2025 ferry boat crash, appeared in court Friday for a pretrial hearing as his defense team revealed they are still missing key Coast Guard reports they believe will help his case.
Knight faces multiple charges stemming from the 2025 crash that injured several people and killed Jose Luis Castro Ulloa.
Defense attorney Kevin Hayslett told the court the Coast Guard reports have not been turned over despite subpoenas. Hayslett said he has contacted higher-ups, including Florida's Attorney General, in an effort to obtain the documents. He said the Coast Guard investigated evidence related to the crash and that without the reports, he would not be ready to go to trial.
Watch report from Maya Sargent
"We're anxious, we believe that the Coast Guard's investigation will help Mr. Knight and we believe that that evidence is crucial for our defense," Hayslett said.
Members of Jose Luis Castro Ulloa's family were present in the courtroom and spoke afterward. His sister, Sandy Todd, directed her own message to the Coast Guard.
"We need help from the Coast Guard, we need them to release the reports so this can be over and let my brother rest," Todd said.
The defense also raised the possibility of filing for a change of venue at a later date, citing extensive media coverage of the case.
"The problem is, there is so much coverage, I'd say negative coverage to Mr. Knight it's hard to put all that together, that's a huge number of articles, comments but I'll have a motion together probably post October 9," Hayslett said.
Todd said the family wants the trial to remain in Pinellas County so they can rally around Jose. She said she is hopeful the trial will begin in February.
"I'm hoping, I'm praying, I'm going to ask everybody to pray with me, for February, for this trial to start and be over," Todd said.
MORE: "My brother's life is priceless": Families react to PSTA reaching $300,000 settlement in 2025 ferry crash
MORE: Timeline: Events that led to the arrest of Jeff Knight after fatal ferry crash
The next pretrial date is set for Oct. 9. At that hearing, Judge Pat Siracusa will also consider whether Knight's prior boating accident in 2019 can be used as evidence. The trial is currently scheduled to begin February 1, 2027.
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