State v. Diaz
Annotate this Case
The defendant, Gonzalo Diaz, was convicted of felony murder, burglary in the first degree, conspiracy to commit burglary in the first degree, attempt to commit robbery in the first degree, and criminal possession of a firearm in connection with a shooting death. The defendant appealed, claiming that the trial court committed plain error by instructing the jury that it could consider his interest in the outcome of the trial when assessing his credibility. He also claimed that the prosecutor made improper remarks during his cross-examination and during rebuttal argument.
The Superior Court in the judicial district of Waterbury found Diaz guilty of felony murder, manslaughter in the first degree with a firearm, burglary in the first degree, conspiracy to commit burglary in the first degree, and attempt to commit robbery in the first degree. The court also found him guilty of criminal possession of a firearm. The court later vacated the conviction for manslaughter in the first degree with a firearm.
The Connecticut Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The court agreed that the trial court's instruction to the jury was erroneous, but it did not result in manifest injustice. The court also found that the prosecutor's remarks were not improper. The court concluded that the defendant failed to establish that the evidence adduced at trial, the disputed factual issues before the jury, and the instructions as a whole gave rise to the danger of juror misunderstanding or confusion. Therefore, the court affirmed the judgment of the trial court.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.