Dad protects sons

THE two sons of Trinidadian double murder-accused Cyprian Diaz may not have to take the witness stand and testify against their father, accused of shooting to death their 40-year-old mother, Pramatee Celestine and her 29-year-old New York born husband, Eugene on June 17, in West Philadelphia. On Wednesday, Diaz, 57, waived his preliminary hearing when he appeared before Judge Seamus Caffery in courtroom 903 of the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Centre. He has been charged with five offences including two counts of murder, possession of a firearm in a public place, possession of a firearm without a licence, and possession of an instrument of crime.

As a result of waiving the preliminary hearing, Diaz was ordered held (to stand trial) on all five charges laid by Detective Lawrence McGuffin. The accused was represented in court by Thomas McGill, while Assistant District Attorney Mark Gilson appeared on behalf of the prosecution. During the brief court hearing a quiet and somewhat subdued Diaz was asked several questions by his lawyer and then Judge Seamus, who asked him if he knew he was waiving his preliminary hearing, and what it meant. Diaz replied in the affirmative and the matter was then adjourned to July 30 for arraignment in courtroom. Asked why Diaz waived his preliminary hearing, prosecutor Gilson told Newsday, “I think he did it to spare his sons from testifying against him. Michael, 14 and Randy Diaz, 10, reportedly witnessed the shooting death of their mother.

Sources told Newsday that when someone waives a preliminary hearing, it generally means there won’t be a trial, that the attorney for the accused is negotiating a plea bargain with the DA’s office. Sources also told Newsday that the plea bargaining agreement will make sense for someone who is sure of being convicted, because it is usually the case that they will get a longer sentence if found guilty at a trial than if they make a deal with the DA in return for allowing the State to avoid the time and expense of a trial (maybe get a life sentence instead of the chair, or be charged with second or third degree murder instead of first degree). Asked, prosecutor Gilson said that the defence team had not yet approached the DA’s office with respect to a plea bargaining agreement. When Diaz makes another appearance on July 30 in courtroom 504 for arraignment, it simply means he will appear before a Judge at which a date is set for pre-trial conference. Members of Celestine’s family, as well as Diaz’s twin brother, Felix, were at the Philadelphia court, but there were no outbursts from either side.