MIAMI (WSVN) - Years after a teen died in a Labor Day weekend boat crash, the man accused of being behind the wheel faced a judge, and his legal team introduced various motions, including one to move the criminal case out of Miami-Dade County.
Defense attorneys for prominent real estate developer George Pino want his case moved out of the county or to drop the charges altogether in connection with a deadly 2022 boating crash in Boca Chita Island that claimed the life of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez and injured others, like Kathy Puig.
In court on Wednesday, with Pino holding a rosary and his family members present, as well as the victim’s family, Pino’s attorneys argued that Pino did not intend to hit the marker the day of the deadly crash when he was with his wife, his daughter, and 11 of his daughter’s friends.
“If the evidence doesn’t support vessel homicide, then the evidence would not support manslaughter,” said Howard Srebnick, George Pino’s defense attorney. “It may have been a momentary lapse of attention.”
Pino’s defense attorney, Srebnick, argued that Pino was not driving recklessly while navigating the channel.
“There is no speed limit, no posted speed limit,” said Srebnick.
Pino’s defense team argued that Pino was not speeding, racing, texting and driving, or impaired at the time of the crash.
“The evidence is that he was not impaired and that alcohol was not a contributing factor,” said Srebnick.
During their plea to the judge, his defense team called the fatal boat crash a tragic accident.
“Not speeding, conditions refined, boat is not exceeding its capacity. He can travel on either side of the channel as is appropriate. The state doesn’t know what distracted him. Mr. Pino, because of the head injury he suffered, we’re not relying on his recollection for what happened. Instead, we’re relying on the undisputed circumstances,” said Srebnick.
In their rebuttal, state prosecutors argued that Pino failed to take proactive measures for the crash.
“So what we know from the GPS data is that for nine seconds, he checked out, zoned out, spaced out, passed out, I don’t know what out, but he wasn’t looking out. You are driving almost 47 miles per hour toward a solid steel pole that’s sticking up out of Biscayne Bay. That’s reckless, and the reckless operation caused or contributed to the cause of death of Lucy Fernandez,” said the prosecutor.
Prosecutors hope the case moves forward to a jury trial.
As of Wednesday, 6 p.m., the hearing is still underway.
Pino is facing charges of manslaughter and vessel homicide and could face up to 15 years behind bars.
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