Tonight, 8 days after she was remanded for allegedly shooting at a fellow Coast Guard Officer, Keyren Tzib, who holds the rank of Seaman, is at home
with her family. Supreme Court Justice Herbert Lord granted her bail of 10,000 DOLLARS, which she was able to meet about 2 hours ago.
As we told you last week Friday she applied to the Supreme Court for an expedited bail on the premise that before this incident, she was a person of
good character with no criminal history. At the urging of Senior Crown Counsel Linbert Willis, Justice Lord adjourned that application because he
wanted a psychiatric examination done on Tzib, and he also wanted to know the prognosis for the victim, Petty Officer Kurt Hyde.
Well, after 3 days of consideration, and reviewing both reports, Justice Lord granted her bail, and allowed her to go home while she awaits trial on
these criminal charges. It's an important relief for Tzib, and her attorney, Audrey Matura Shepherd spoke with the press outside of court about its
significance.
Audrey Matura-Shepherd – Attorney for Keyren Tzib
"If you were at the court last Friday when we argued for bail, we presented why she should have gotten bail. And when you consider bail you have to
look at whether the person is a flight risk, whether is the person will show up at court, whether the person is a danger to herself or her community -
or would repeat the offence. Clearly we presented everything; There was nothing presented by the DPP's office to counter what we have said but the
judge to satisfy himself and to make a judicious decision, asked that we further put off the hearing and get for him 2 critical things. Which was a
report as to the medical health of the virtual complainant Mr. Kurt Hyde. As well as an evaluation of my client to see if she is any danger to herself
for the community. Clearly both those reports came in her favour and as a result of that she got bail today."
Daniel Ortiz
"So talk to us about the conditions and what they mean for her"
Audrey Matura-Shepherd
"It's unfortunate that all kind of things have been said in the media about her rather negative. I think today's results exonerated her. Clearly she's
not insane, psychotic, mad - all the things people have been saying. Clearly she does have a medical issue, nothing has been blown out in the public's
eye. But it's nothing that any ordinary person can't deal with and cope with on a regular basis. So that is not enough for her to be kept behind bars.
Remember, our constitution is that you're innocent until proven guilty. So now she gets to leave the courtroom, she gets to be free and try to live as
normal a life as possible without people haunting her - saying things to her. That's her right, this matter, this trail, the actual trial could be the
next 2, 3 years. That's the reality, she'll be back and forth in court, getting adjournment dates. They will eventually be a preliminary inquiry. The
matter will be sent to the supreme court. We know at the supreme court they're 100 of cases on the list, so hers not being murder will not be a
priority, so it might take 2 to 3 years before they're is actual trial."
Daniel Ortiz
"Talk to us about this issue of continuation of, I don't know if the right term is clinical treatment. What is that exactly?"
Audrey Matura-Shepherd
"She is taking a medication and she is having regular medical visits but that is nothing extra ordinary. It's like anybody on the job that is stressed
out by the job. That's what she was dealing with."
As we've reported, Tzib and the shooting victim, Kurt Hyde had a previous history where she had made a serious accusation against him. The
understanding after that was that they were not to have any interaction with each other while on duty at the Coast Guard. Somehow, a decision was made
for Hyde to retrieve Tzib from active duty on Easter Monday to attend a Military Services Commission hearing. This evening, Matura-Shepherd called out
the Coast Guard for that decision, and she is demanding that provide an explanation as to why that happened:
Audrey Matura-Shepherd
"She was to go for a follow up treatment but she instead was sent out at sea on duty. Another thing the media may not know about and the public did not
know about is that - there was also an understanding that Mr. Kurt Hyde and her were to never work together or be placed together. In the affidavit
given by the coast guard together by no other than the 2nd in command, Elton Bennett. It states that they opted to Mr. Kurt, who was another vessel go
pick her up at the San Pedro base to bring her to town for a hearing she had because they didn't want 2 vessels coming in the same direction. Which is
in contravention of what they knew was a position they took; Which is they were never to allow them to work together for previous reasons - which
unfortunate I will not discuss. People have made presumptions of. The coast guard needs to take responsibility because they better than anybody else
knows thats the internal issues there."
Duane Moody - Channel 7 News
"Your client has explain what really transpired that day?"
Audrey Matura-Shepherd
"While she may have explained to me as her attorney, I am not privy to say it. I think the proper and right thing to do is wait for the disclosure to
come out and to see what the witnesses are saying. And then we take it from there. I don't think it's fair to say anything as to what has transpired.
Let those who want to assume, that is why we take the matter to court. Remember she is accused and she is innocent until proven guilty. And proven
guilty needs to be good credible evidence."
Duane Moody
"So she's saying she did not commit any crime?"
Audrey Matura-Shepherd
"As far as we know, my client remains innocent until proven guilty."
The report on Hyde concluded that he had a successful operation aboard the US Naval Hospital Ship and that he was in a stable condition. He should be
out of the hospital in the next 4 to 5 weeks. The bail was granted with a laundry list of conditions. The most important bail conditions are that Tzib
hands over all her travel documents to the court, that she attends each and every adjournment at the magistrate court until the matter is completed,
and that she do not go within 100 yards of Kurt Hyde.
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