Family disappointed with second-degree murder charge

Family and friends of Danny Trineer, the 32-year-old man fatally stabbed following an early-morning fight at a Hawkesbury bar, said they were saddened and disappointed with the court's decision to charge his killer with second-degree murder.

A preliminary hearing to determine the exact charge against Rodny Wiss Ceasar, 27, was held at the courthouse in L'Orignal on Wednesday, January 18.

The Crown prosecutor was seeking a charge of first-degree murder, while the defence was asking for a second-degree charge. The defence argued that Ceasar was acting out of impulse, saying the stabbing was not a premeditated idea.

After much deliberation, the judge ruled that the evidence presented did not reasonably or legally prove that there was any "planning or inference" on the part of the accused. He said based on the evidence, any intent to kill would have been established in the moments before the stabbing occurred.

The judge imposed a publication ban on the evidence presented. The case will now move to pre-trial in Superior Court in L'Orignal on Friday, March 9 at 11:30 a.m.

Ceasar was initially charged by police with first-degree murder after Trineer, of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, was found dead at the Déjà Vu Bar in Hawkesbury in the early-morning hours of September 4, 2010.
Trineer's family expressed outrage and frustration with the judge's decision on Wednesday. Many expressed doubt that the accused would face more than 10 years in prison - factoring in good behaviour and time already served - meaning he could be released in his mid-30s.

"I find it's completely unjust," said the victim's sister, Jennifer Trineer. "It's like telling someone, 'If it's not premeditated, you can walk around with a knife and if you happen to use it, you'll serve 10 years - or less, with good behaviour."

Trineer added that she has "completely" lost her faith in the justice system.

Danny's mother, Line St-Jean, echoed those sentiments.

"We absolutely wanted first-degree," she said. "[Caesar] will still be young, he'll still have the rest of his life ahead of him," she said. "Danny isn't here anymore."

St-Jean said she has come to realize that the judicial process is lengthy, which makes it even more difficult for the family to grieve Danny's loss.

"We can't even mourn," she added. "There are always memories, and it forces us to start over. And it's not just us: there are witnesses, lots of Danny's friends were implicated. We talk about it all the time. Our grieving is not over."

Assistant Crown attorney Julie Bourgeois said the prosecution will proceed ahead with the charge for the time being.

"The judge ruled that he's going to be committed to stand trial on second-degree murder," she said. "The purpose of the preliminary was to determine that."

Asked if the Crown would be appealing for the first-degree charge, she said it was much too early to determine that.

"There's always an appeal process at any stage, but we're not even there yet. We're just going to prepare for the pre-trial. It follows the same process as any other case."

Meanwhile, the family worries that the "unjust" second-degree charge could be further dropped to manslaughter.

"I find the law incredibly unjust," said St-Jean, with tears in her eyes. "I think about him all the time."