Amy Bradley: The Attorney Explaining Why the Case Is Still Open | Witness Wednesday

When a passenger goes missing on a cruise ship, the first people on the scene aren't law enforcement. They're cruise line employees whose job is to protect the company. There is no independent law enforcement on cruise ships. And by the time the FBI arrives, the cruise line has already controlled every piece of information, every access point, and every hour of the critical early window.

That's not a conspiracy. It's a structure. And maritime attorney Michael Winkleman has spent more than 20 years working inside it.

Michael is a partner at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman in Miami — one of the most experienced maritime law firms in the country. His firm has recovered more than $500 million on behalf of passengers and crew, and was instrumental in passing the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010. He's handled El Faro, the Costa Concordia, and has made 100+ national TV appearances on cruise ship law.

In this interview:

— How jurisdiction works at sea — flag state, port state, and FBI authority all applying simultaneously, and why it creates what he calls a very muddy picture — Why cruise lines register in the Bahamas instead of the US — and what that costs passengers when something goes wrong — The information imbalance: cruise lines control total access to the ship and evidence while outside authorities have to ask permission to board — What the CVSSA changed in 2010 — and where the law still falls short — What families actually have legally when something goes wrong — Why the industry is, in his words, dramatically under-regulated — What he tells everyone before they go on a cruise: don't leave your common sense at the port

Recorded as part of MMA's 12-part series on Amy Bradley, who disappeared from the Rhapsody of the Seas on March 24, 1998. The FBI reward is now $100,000. Clips from this interview appear in Episode 4. This is the full conversation.

If you have information about Amy's disappearance — 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov. Tips can be submitted anonymously.

100% of Invisawear commissions go to the Bradley family's GoFundMe. 10% off through the link in the show notes. Support the show at no extra cost through our Amazon link.

amybradleyismissing.com | Amy Alerts petition | tips.fbi.gov | Invisawear | Bradley family GoFundMe | Amazon

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