Hearing held for man who had manslaughter charge dismissed in deadly St. Augustine shooting

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A pretrial hearing was held Tuesday afternoon for Louis Casado, who had a manslaughter charge dismissed last year in the 2021 shooting death of am Amoia but still faces a remaining charge of carrying a firearm into a prohibited place.

The shooting happened in May 2021 outside the Dos Gatos bar in downtown St. Augustine, which is now closed. The shooting was captured on surveillance video from the bar and neighboring businesses, and previously in court, video from before, during and after the moment Casado shot and killed Amoia was shown.

In December, Circuit Judge R. Lee Smith in St. Johns County ruled that Casado acted in self-defense under Florida’s “stand your ground” law.

Tuesday’s pretrial hearing on the second-degree misdemeanor charge of carrying a firearm into a prohibited place, which carries up to 60 days in jail, was over in less than a minute. Casado was not present. But the judge set three important dates for the future: Feb. 28 is the next pretrial hearing; March 9 is a docket signing, which is just a decision before trial; and March 20 is when Casado’s trial on the misdemeanor charge is scheduled to start.

Amoia’s family was in court for Tuesday’s hearing, and News4JAX spoke with his brother, Leonard, by phone afterward. He said he did not want to comment on what happened Tuesday but did say, “Anyone can imagine how his family is doing right now.”

Although he did not wish to comment further, News4JAX does know the family is asking the judge to fully sentence Casdao.

According to a letter Amoia’s mother sent the judge, she wrote, in part, “I am begging you to sentence him to the full extent. My hope is that you will.”

News4JAX also spoke with Casado’s lawyer after the hearing, and he said he is hopeful his client does not get jail time. He also said there is a possibility things could be resolved before the trial starts on March 20.