Florida Juries Rarely Convict in Fatal Boat Cases, Pino Acquittal Shows

A Miami jury acquitted real estate executive George Pino of vessel homicide and manslaughter on June 23, 2026, in a 2022 Biscayne Bay crash that killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez. The verdict underscores a persistent challenge: Florida juries struggle to meet the culpable-negligence threshold required for conviction, even absent reasonable doubt about the operator's recklessness. Acquittals in vessel homicide cases remain common, absent clear evidence of extreme intoxication or documented recklessness. Florida logs among the nation's highest boating fatality rates.