We have some good news. See below.
The Pino trial began today, and we heard it was broadcast live on television. We did not watch it, but overheard someone say that the defendant was sobbing so badly at one point during his counsel Scott Howard Srebnick's (tomato- tomahto?) opening that Judge Tinkler-Mendez stopped the trial. Never a good sign.
Once we had a jury come back in less than thirty minutes and our client started taking off his belt and watch and handing it to his wife. We walked over and snarled "put your f'ing belt back on. You ain't going nowhere." And he all he did was go home that night. It's a hard enough job. Client's need to have a little faith in their counsel.
Laura Adams leads the prosecution and she's as good as it gets.
GUESS WHO IS BACK?
He's like a bad penny that keeps turning up.
Everyone's favourite Miami crime reporter extraordinaire- David Ovalle- is back as the failing NY Times Florida Correspondent.
Florida needs a reporter devoted full time to a national newspaper. We lead the country in weirdness. It's not like the NY Times has a New Mexico reporter, or a South Dakota reporter.
Here is part of the Times news release announcing David's position:
For years, many of the wildest and most memorable stories coming out of Florida bore the same byline: David Ovalle.
Covering crime and criminal justice for The Miami Herald, David wrote about a murder rooted in Miami’s niche world of pigeon racing. A businessman who used $2.1 million in pandemic loans to buy “the peak Miami status symbols,” including a Lamborghini. The brazen theft from a warehouse of thousands of pairs of the body-shaping undergarments known as fajas – think Spanx, but Spanish.
In his more recent job at The Washington Post, David spent three years covering addiction, illegal drugs and public health policy. Steve Smith, his editor for most of that time and now a deputy on Metro, says: “David reports with intensity and empathy. He writes with precision and elan. He can spot a great story — and a charlatan — a mile away. And his talents as a writer and a reporter are eclipsed only by his decency and caring as a colleague.”... He owned the crime and courts beat thanks to deep sources that he built in police departments and courthouses. He wrote about police shootings and alleged misconduct; the Parkland school massacre, and complex legal cases involving the Stand Your Ground defense and the death penalty.
We’re pleased he’s joining the National desk as Florida correspondent.
Just who were they speaking of about Ovalle's "deep sources"? We'll never tell.
60 comments:
Howard not Scott
Did he report on Operation Courtbroom? Did he break the story on the fake cartel created to take the corrupt judges down? He is a reporter who is second to none.
The REG reporting hasn't been the same since David left. He has a knack for finding interesting cases to report on.
Howard not Scott.
Bring back Edna Buchanan. She was the best ever.
Scotty Saul left the blog?
No. That was Don Van Natta who also left Miami for the Times
In legal news Karmelo Anthony was convicted. Genuinely curios, can we expect blacks and liberal women to riot this summer again like the 2020 George Floyd riots?
Wasn’t this blog shutting down this week?
Excited to watch Howard in action. Nice to know that through Howard Roy Black's legacy endures.
Check out the JQC’s (preliminary) witness list against Bronwyn Miller. How many of them could be hostile witnesses?
https://acis-api.flcourts.gov/courts/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/cms/case/e311269e-b107-4a29-bb2d-e3fdc51d1a21/docketentrydocuments/376ec6d5-9d60-4b68-813d-aa42272ef993
Seems like a very difficult case for Howard: Pino admittedly had at least one beer beforehand, though if I understand it correctly there will be testimony that it may have been more than one; Howard admits that he was going fast, though he deflects by saying that there was no speed limit; Howard admits that he was on the wrong side, though he passes that off as just careless; the photograph of all the beer may be explainable, but it's not a good look, especially since the underage girls apparently were drinking, too. I'm skeptical that a jury will understand the difference between careless and criminally negligent here, on which the entire defense apparently rests. Just tragic all around.
Bring in the Goose
What I always appreciated about David’s reporting, was its factual accuracy, and its legal accuracy. If you read his articles, he relayed exactly what happened in the courtroom. If you weren’t in the courtroom you were educated to what you missed. Welcome home David O. Looking forward to your new Miami perspective and enjoying your experienced journalism.
Are these hearings on live TV? This is turning out to be a great sitcom.
I have to wonder where the reckless behavior was in the Pino case. This is clearly simple negligence.
Remember when Miami SAO filed a veh hom against a poor immigrant who took the baby out of the baby seat so his wife could give the baby some medicine. Accident happened and the baby died. Judge Shapiro said at JOA, the only reckless behavior I see here was the decision to file this case in the first place.
That's gonna be a hell of a trial. Meanwhile Judge Bronwyn Miller continues to hear criminal cases on the Third as if nothing is happening and admits no wrongdoing at all. I don't know how anyone who takes judicial or legal ethics seriously could accept that. Privilege and a lifetime of impunity from the sorts of consequences that apply to mere mortals make for bad decision making once you get formally charged with wrongdoing. We're seeing same dynamic play out in Pino case where he could have resolved and avoided terrible trial with misdemeanor plea.
Please livestream the witnesses testimonies.
hopefully.
Can’t open
What a joke
I wouldn't say "very" difficult. So far, the adults (including the parents of the deceased) went out to the sandbar, drank and allowed the underage girls to drink, they saw Pino drinking, were not concerned about him to the point that they felt he was well enough to drive the boat with their daughter (her own parents left her behind). Everyone was having a great time. Speed + pilon + wake = accident. It seems more of a difficult case for Laura who's playing that sympathy card, heavily.
Will Kathy seek immunity from testifying? I hope she doesn’t implicate herself from unethical behavior.
Typical ASA always saying this blog spreads filth and wants it shut down. Well it’s free speech counselor. You wouldn’t want to just throw away your rights? The very rights that provide the freedom you live in. Play by the rules and you got nothing to hide.
Apparently, he’s sitting right in front of me.
Really? So far our interns haven’t been impressed.
Salami sandwich
This is an interesting comment, and, based on what I have read of what happened here, I, too, also think that Pino likely shouldn't be guilty of manslaughter. But the standard of what constitutes culpable negligence is itself not concrete, and it becomes easier to understand only by reference to past examples in the case law. That's where -- given that the prosecutor's office already brought the case -- the judge should come in. But does anyone think that Judge Tinkler-Mendez would grant a judgment of acquittal here? No judge would survive that.
Copy link and paste it to Google
Kathy may have her own bar issues
Hank doesn’t play. That’s a worthy opponent! By by miller
Was Pino intoxicated? How come no one took his blood sample?
They miss MVZ
Your interns?
Sympathy card works though. Tough trial for everyone won’t bring kids or anything back to what it was before tragedy. He should have pled to a misdemeanor. Wh whatever. Avoid this for everyone including him.
It's all on CourtTV.
I was shocked that Laura Adams fell for the oldest trick in the book. Pino was giving her funny looks walking out of the courtroom. Laura said, "you have something to say to me?" That was improper. Laura over charged this just to try to cover up all the bullshit FWC did to protect a rich guy with big time connections. From what I see, this was negligence and not manslaughter. Most don't know but, Laura nolle prossed the misdemeanors to keep the jury from finding the correct verdict. The misdemeanors were for rule violations and a death or injury. They are second degree misdemeanors.
The defense fucked up and should have closed this when they were just misdemeanors.
Bye bye bye
Bring out the box wine
Pino should have called the Q
Does GEORGE YOSS and HANK ADORNO still practice? They were great and powerful years back but I have not heard about them in years.
Pino loses by verdict of guilty. No doubt. So unlikeable. The jury sees through his acting job. They see his wealth. They see his arrogance. They will never let Lucy Fernandez’ wrongful death go criminally unpunished when Pino let those children drink alcohol in excess and he drank too. Everyone stopped for driving issues say “I only had 2 beers.” Total BS after being at the sand bar on a broiling hot sunny Florida day. 61 empty alcohol bottles and cans - and he only drank 2? Come on. Plus, if Lucy was not impaired, maybe she would not have drowned? All his recklessness and fault. I’m praying for a guilty verdict. The Prosecutor is first class and is laying out the case in a concise manner. Guilty. Prison.
I too wonder what Laura Adams was thinking when she burst out at a defendant for looking at her. Laura, it's a tough job, stop letting it get to you. You always take everything personally.
Yeah, Laura has been acting like a young county court prosecutor. Lots of unnecessary inflection on her questions to imply "a normal person knows/does better, doesn't he?" Very unbecoming of her to address Pino over a look. Seems she's taking this one personal. She had Pino's wife on the stand and came away with no points.
Disagree with Rumpole about Adams. I have found her to be bilious and sadistic, devoid of soul or heart.
Hey Howard the 80s called. They want their hair back.
If her own dad came after they were already at the sandbar, spent time with his kid, observed Pino, felt Pino was fine enough to drive, back and decided to head back to shore on his own, without his daughter, that's good enough for me. Not Guilty. Tragic, yes.
Pino said another boat caused the crash to the cops. Then a year later he and his nasty wife signed and swore to interrogatories again claiming a boat caused the crash. They should be charged with perjury. Now the defense says he only made up the boat because he has a brain injury. Only an idiot passes on a m2 and lets the state up the charges to and f2. Do better people!
For a rich guy that was a shitty boat
Not many options left at the SAO. Pretty sure the interns will be trying felonies.
The old Robalo was a good boat not the new one. This guy was cheap. Should have had a captain. Is it really true that he passed on a misdemeanor ? JHC.
seriously
How much longer did they stay after the kid's dad saw them? Do we know?
Also could the Feds have picked this up if he took the misdemeanor?
Tragic situation for sure.
Great defense “the boat caused the crash” ladies and gentlemen of the jury my client didn’t murder the victim the gun did.
The Miller hearing?
Rumor has it she tried dropping her resignation twice in the last several months over this case.
I don’t think Howard would pass on a misdemeanor. He’s too smart for that.
Everyone is dropping resignations.
I do
We’ve had plenty resign in the last couple of months.
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