Florida dad breaks down during trial over boat crash that killed teen, forcing judge to make stunning decision
A Florida real estate developer on trial for a boat crash that killed a teenage girl broke down uncontrollably in court — forcing the judge to dismiss the jury and berate the defendant.George Pino, 54, was seen bursting into tears, shaking, and sobbing just over an hour into his murder trial for the death of 17-year-old Luciana “Lucy” Fernandez on Monday, as reported by Local 10 News.The outburst during opening statements forced Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez to dismiss the jury for the day.“Mr.
Pino’s going to need to be able to control himself,” the judge said, agreeing with prosecutor Laura Adams, who branded the behavior “inappropriate” for the courtroom.“It’s not proper at all for the jury to be witnessing the emotional behaviors,” Tinkler Mendez added.Pino appeared to become emotional almost immediately during Adams’ opening statement, before openly bursting into tears during defense attorney Howard Srebnick’s statement.He stepped out to compose himself, while Srebnick said he was concerned for his client’s health.“I don’t think he’s well,” Srebnick said, as reported by the Miami Herald.Pino was checked out by Miami Fire Rescue crews on hand before the judge agreed to dismiss the jury for the day.The well-known real estate broker in Doral is facing second-degree manslaughter and vessel homicide charges over his alleged involvement in a 2022 boating crash that killed Fernandez and left Katerina Puig, who was then 18, with permanent and debilitating injuries.Pino and his wife, Cecilia, were hosting several teen girls for their daughter Carolina’s 18th birthday on their 29-foot boat when they crashed in Biscayne Bay on Sept.4, 2022.The father, who was piloting the vessel back to dock, hit a channel marker at around 50 miles per hour after turning around to check on the passengers, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said.The force of the crash tore a large hole in the side of the boat and threw all of the passengers into the water.Eleven...