deadly 2022 boating crash<\/a> that claimed the life of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez and injured others, like Kathy Puig. <\/p>\nIn court on Wednesday, with Pino and his family members present, as well as the victim\u2019s family, Pino\u2019s attorneys argued that Pino did not intended to hit the marker. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf the evidence doesn\u2019t support vessel homicide, then the evidence would not support manslaughter,\u201d said Howard Srebnick, George Pino\u2019s defense attorney. \u201cIt may have been a momentary lapse of attention.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pino\u2019s defense attorney, Srebnick, argued that Pino was not driving recklessly while navigating the channel. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no speed limit, no posted speed limit,\u201d said Srebnick. <\/p>\n
Pino\u2019s defense team argued that Pino was not speeding, racing, texting and driving, or impaired at the time of the crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe evidence is that he was not impaired and that alcohol was not a contributing factor,\u201d said Srebnick.<\/p>\n
During their plea to the judge, his defense team called the fatal boat crash a tragic accident.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot speeding, conditions refined, boat is not exceeding its capacity. He can travel on either side of the channel as is appropriate. The state doesn\u2019t know what distracted him. Mr. Pino, because of the head injury he suffered, we\u2019re not relying on his recollection for what happened. Instead, we\u2019re relying on the undisputed circumstances,\u201d said Srebnick.<\/p>\n
In their rebuttal, state prosecutors argued that Pino failed to take proactive measures for the crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what we know from the GPS data is that for nine seconds, he checked out, zoned out, spaced out, passed out, I don\u2019t know what out, but he wasn\u2019t looking out. You are driving almost 47 miles per hour toward a solid steel pole that\u2019s sticking up out of Biscayne Bay. That\u2019s reckless, and the reckless operation caused or contributed to the cause of death of Lucy Fernandez,\u201d said the prosecutor. <\/p>\n
Prosecutors hope the case moves forward to a jury trial. <\/p>\n
As of Wednesday, 5 p.m., the hearing is still underway.<\/p>\n
Pino is facing charges of manslaughter and vehicular homicide and could face up to 15 years behind bars. <\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n
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