A Miami-Dade jury on Monday found George Pino not guilty of second-degree manslaughter and vessel homicide over the Labor Day weekend collision that killed 17-year-old Luciana “Lucy” Fernandez and left Katy Puig severely injured.
Pino’s acquittal in the 2022 Biscayne Bay boat-crash case has garnered public interest in two people in the story: his high-profile lawyer, Howard Srebnick, and survivor Katerina “Katy” Puig, who suffered permanent injuries in the crash.
On September 4, 2022, Pino was piloting a 29-foot Robalo near Boca Chita Key during his daughter Carolina’s 18th birthday outing.
Authorities said the boat hit a channel marker in Biscayne Bay, throwing passengers into the water. Fernandez died. Puig, then 17, was left with permanent neurological and physical disabilities.
Prosecutors alleged Pino had been drinking and was travelling at an unsafe speed.
In a statement from Srebnick, following the jury’s verdict in the case of State of Florida vs. George Pino, he said, “We are grateful to the jurors for their careful consideration of the evidence and for reaching a just verdict. From the beginning, we have maintained that the events of September 4, 2022, were a tragic accident, not a crime.”
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Who is Howard Srebnick?
Srebnick is a veteran Miami defense lawyer with decades of experience in federal and state criminal cases. As co-chair of the NACDL’s Lawyer Assistance Strike Force, Howard currently defends attorneys who are subject to subpoenas or penalties for their fervent advocacy.
Srebnick is one of Miami’s best-known criminal defense attorneys and a longtime partner at the law firm Black Srebnick. Over the years, he has represented high-profile defendants in South Florida and beyond, including in white-collar, public corruption and major felony cases.
According to his firm biography, he is a founding partner of Black Srebnick. In South Florida legal circles, he is known for taking on high-stakes trials and for representing clients in cases that draw intense media attention. That reputation was visible throughout the Pino trial
In the Pino trial, he argued that the crash was “a tragic accident” and stressed that Pino was not charged with boating under the influence. He also pointed to Pino’s traumatic brain injury and disputed the prosecution’s account of recklessness.
In his final statement to the jury, he said, “The testimony presented at trial—including unrebutted accounts from eyewitnesses who saw no signs of impairment—confirmed that Mr Pino was not under the influence, was not operating the vessel recklessly, and that he did everything he could to protect his passengers after the accident.”
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Where is Katy Puig now?
Katy Puig is alive, but she has been living with the consequences of the crash for nearly four years. Court coverage from CBS Miami has consistently described her injuries as permanent and life-altering.
According to the Miami Herald, the Puig family released a statement after the acquittal saying they are “deeply disappointed by today’s verdict, and our hearts hurt for the Fernandez and Perez families, who continue to live every day with the unimaginable loss of Lucy.”
They added, “For nearly four years, our family has lived with the consequences of that tragic day. We see Katy’s injuries every day. We see the challenges she continues to face, the strength she demonstrates in overcoming them, and the impact this tragedy has had on her life and the lives of those who love her. No verdict can change those realities.”
Due to the catastrophic brain injury she suffered in the boat crash, now 21-year-old Katy Puig will always be disabled.
The night of the collision, she was discovered unconscious in the bay and underwent emergency brain surgery at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
The Miami Herald reported that she needs round-the-clock medical attention and now uses a wheelchair. The extent of Katy Puig’s injuries was not disclosed to the jury throughout the trial.
Puig resides in Miami, Florida, in her family home as per reports. In 2025, Katy was honored at the Nicklaus Children’s ball. “I am very proud of myself for all the work I’ve done since the accident. I have the best support system ever,” she had told Miami Herald, a few days before.
