{"id":2696,"date":"2026-06-18T22:32:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T22:32:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2696"},"modified":"2026-06-18T22:32:56","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T22:32:56","slug":"george-pino-declines-lesser-charge-ahead-of-closing-arguments-in-deadly-boating-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2696","title":{"rendered":"George Pino declines lesser charge ahead of closing arguments in deadly boating case"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

MIAMI \u2014 What is needed to convict or acquit? That is what is at stake as both sides of the George Pino trial fight to get key phrasing included in jury instructions — which must explain which laws apply and the burden of proof.<\/p>\n

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Both sides made arguments about key phrases, down to individual words, they want the jury to have in front of them when they head into deliberations following Monday\u2019s conclusion of closing arguments.<\/p>\n

The voice of defendant George Pino joined the courtroom by Zoom on Thursday to address a critical question \u2014 whether he wanted a lesser included offense presented to the jury for consideration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe misdemeanor you were previously charged with,\u201d defense attorney Srebnick Howard began.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you continue to decline the lesser included offense instruction?\u201d Srebnick asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes I do,\u201d Pino replied.<\/p>\n

The hearing centered on preparing jury instructions in the manslaughter and vessel homicide case against the 55-year-old real estate mogul, in connection with the 2022 boating incident which killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is the state\u2019s burden to prove \u2015 not us,\u201d Srebnick said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis instruction comes straight from statute,\u201d prosecutor Laura Adams said.<\/p>\n

Arguments also touched on causation. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe changing course did not cause her death,\u201d Srebnick said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t charge the water for causing her death,\u201d Adams responded. <\/p>\n

The judge pushed back, asking: \u201cIf there was no change of course there would be no allision?\u201d \u2015 to which she received confirmation.<\/p>\n

Jury instructions serve as a road map for the jurors once they head into deliberations and the words in those instructions, the judge said, should focus them on clear statements of the law to guide their deliberations as they weigh the evidence presented at trial.<\/p>\n

But what words are a pathway to clarifying a legal concept \u2014 as opposed to being confusing or even misleading \u2014 can be up for interpretation, which is why the state and defense spent the afternoon litigating specific phrasing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are the acts\u2026\u201d Srebnick began at one point. <\/p>\n

\u201cI am not saying that,\u201d Adams shot back.<\/p>\n

The defendant was not in the courtroom. His attorney noted: \u201cThis is the crux of the case\u201d and \u201ca fundamental part of the proceeding,\u201d adding, \u201cI am sure he would rely on us without a doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s hearing is crucial. The judge said she will check in with Pino on Monday morning ahead of the start of closing arguments.<\/p>\n

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What is needed to convict or acquit? That is what is at stake as both sides of the George Pino trial fight to get key phrasing included in jury instructions — which must explain which laws apply and the burden of proof.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nGeorge Pino declines lesser charge ahead of closing arguments in deadly boating case - South Florida Moving Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2696\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"George Pino declines lesser charge ahead of closing arguments in deadly boating case - South Florida Moving Guides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is needed to convict or acquit? 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