{"id":2853,"date":"2026-06-21T15:03:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T15:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2853"},"modified":"2026-06-21T15:03:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T15:03:34","slug":"after-tearful-tense-trial-closing-arguments-set-for-monday-in-george-pino-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southfloridamovingguides.com\/?p=2853","title":{"rendered":"After tearful, tense trial, closing arguments set for Monday in George Pino case"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

MIAMI \u2014 The manslaughter and vessel homicide trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino is nearing its end. Both sides are set to deliver their closing arguments on Monday.<\/p>\n

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Pino, 55, is facing charges in connection with a September 2022 boat crash that killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez off Boca Chita Key. The crash seriously injured another 17-year-old, Katerina Puig.<\/p>\n

Opening statements began with prosecutors saying Pino\u2019s allision with a channel marker happened as a result of criminal negligence and recklessness.<\/p>\n

\u201cLucy is dead because the defendant failed to do the most basic things that rules of the water require,\u201d Assistant State Attorney Laura Adams told jurors.<\/p>\n

Defense attorneys argue the crash was a mere accident.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe state admits this was not George\u2019s intention. He did not intend for anybody to be hurt,\u201d Pino\u2019s attorney, Howard Srebnick, told jurors during opening statements. \u201cHis own daughter, his own wife, his own body was on that boat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defense openings were interrupted after Pino broke down for several minutes in front of jurors; the proceedings were halted and continued the next day.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the trial, jurors heard from some of the 12 young women, all teenagers at the time, who were on board Pino\u2019s boat, part of a celebration for his daughter\u2019s 18th birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was George, and I thought he was dead,\u201d Claudia Portocarrero testified. \u201cI remember him, he had blood on his head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some testified about the alcohol that George Pino and his wife, Cecilia Pino, provided, as well as the crash itself.<\/p>\n

Fernandez\u2019s father recalled the living nightmare he and his wife went through. Puig\u2019s father also talked about how the crash affected his daughter.<\/p>\n

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Jurors took a field trip to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission facility in North Miami to see the damaged 29-foot Robalo and watched body camera footage from the crash response and Pino\u2019s questioning.<\/p>\n

But the trial trial, not without its moments of conflict. <\/p>\n

Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez issued a warning to Pino and his family for hugging in front of jurors.<\/p>\n

A tense exchange between Adams and Pino also drew the judge\u2019s attention after Adams brought up that Pino was reportedly muttering, \u201cIt happens, it happens, it happens,\u201d during testimony.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry. Do you have something you want to say to me?\u201d Adams asked Pino. \u201cWhy are you staring at me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pino denied staring at her.<\/p>\n

In another moment, Pino\u2019s attorneys told Tinkler Mendez that there was \u201csomething of a stare down\u201d between Adams and their client, followed by Adams \u201crolling her eyes\u201d at Pino.<\/p>\n

Cecilia Pino took the stand twice during the trial, recounting the harrowing aftermath of the crash off Cutter Bank. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe died because your husband crashed into that channel marker, right?\u201d Adams asked her during her first appearance on the stand.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe died because there was an accident,\u201d Cecilia Pino testified.<\/p>\n

Cecilia Pino broke down when taking the stand for the second time, testifying, \u201cI remember asking again, \u2018Who is missing? Who is missing?\u2019 And that\u2019s when they told me that Lucy was missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jurors will also be instructed on the law before beginning their deliberations.<\/p>\n

If convicted, Pino faces anywhere between 11 to 30 years in prison.<\/p>\n

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The manslaughter and vessel homicide trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino is nearing its end. Both sides are set to deliver their closing arguments on Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAfter tearful, tense trial, closing arguments set for Monday in George Pino 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=2853\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"After tearful, tense trial, closing arguments set for Monday in George Pino case - South Florida Moving Guides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The manslaughter and vessel homicide trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino is nearing its end. 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