MIAMI – A Miami-Dade judge on Friday reaffirmed a potential July 14 trial date in the high-profile case of George Pino, the real estate mogul charged with felony vessel homicide in a 2022 boating crash that killed a 17-year-old girl and seriously injured two others.
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During the brief status hearing, the judge reminded both sides of the upcoming trial date and asked if they expected to be ready.
The charges stem from a boating incident that led to the death of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez near Boca Chita Key.
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say Pino was behind the wheel of a 29-foot boat the evening of Sept. 4, 2022, when he lost control and slammed it into a channel marker.
Pino initially faced three second-degree misdemeanor charges, but after gathering additional witness testimony, prosecutors elevated the charge to homicide.
On Friday, Pino’s defense attorney reiterated the importance of sticking to the July schedule, noting that many of the witnesses are students whose testimony could disrupt their school year if the case is delayed.
“There needs to be some accommodation made for preserving testimony,” said Pino’s attorney.
While investigators reported at the time that they did not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, Pino declined a voluntary blood draw after admitting to drinking earlier that evening.
Back in May, a judge ordered Pino’s wife to pay $16 million to the family of one of the teens badly injured in the crash as part of a lawsuit settlement.