MIAMI — Opening statements wrapped up Tuesday in the vessel homicide trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino after his “emotional behaviors” derailed the first day of his trial. The state then moved to call its first witness.
Lawyers originally couldn’t finish their opening statements Monday, as the 55-year-old continually broke down in court, prompting a recess for the day.
Pino is charged in the death of Lucy Fernandez, 17, after a boat crash on 2022’s Labor Day weekend. Her father, Andy Fernandez, was the state’s first witness on Tuesday.
Authorities said Pino, then 52, was behind the wheel of a 29-foot Robalo boat in the early evening hours of Sept. 4, 2022 when he lost control and slammed it into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key, killing Fernandez. Two other girls were seriously hurt, including 17-year-old Katerina Puig.
Jury selection in the case concluded on Friday, with potential jurors quizzed on their jobs, life experiences and any biases they may be coming in with and what they knew about the case.
Miami-Dade Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez denied requests to delay the trial.
Prosecutor Laura Adams was able to get through her opening statement as Pino appeared emotional in court.
“In the aftermath of causing Lucy’s death, this defendant avoided accountability by telling the police a fabrication of how this boating crash occurred, and he maintained that falsehood long after the day of this tragedy,” she told jurors. “The evidence in this case, ladies and gentlemen, will show you this was not a mere accident or a momentary lapse in judgment. The evidence will show that Lucy is dead because the defendant failed to do the most basic things that rules of the water require.”
But during defense attorney Howard Srebnick’s opening statement, Pino’s visible breakdown eventually became too much and Adams called for a delay, saying Pino’s behavior was “inappropriate” for jurors to witness.
“Mr. Pino’s going to need to be able to control himself,” Tinkler Mendez said, later saying “it’s not proper at all for the jury to be witnessing the emotional behaviors.”
Srebnick had been able to get through a portion of his opening statement. He argued that the crash was merely a tragic accident.
“The state admits this was not George’s intention for this to happen,” Srebnick said. “He did not intend to crash into a marker. He did not intend for anybody to be hurt. His own daughter, his own wife, his own body was on that boat. Mrs. Pino will testify (that) George, her husband, was not impaired. She wouldn’t have risked her own life.”
After the recess, Miami Fire Rescue crews checked out Pino and proceedings were ultimately pushed back until Tuesday.
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