"The man facing murder charges is Daly City resident Antoine Watson, who was 19 at the time of the killing. Watson is charged with murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and inflicting injury on an elder likely to cause great bodily injury. Former DA Boudin took a lot of heat for not pressing hate crime charges on this case, though new DA Brooke Jenkins is not pressing hate crime charges either."
"The defense is claiming this was somewhat of an impulsive act -- that it was not premeditated or planned, legal analyst Steven Clark told KGO. And for the prosecution, they're saying hitting an 84-year-old man is implied malice and you're guilty of murder. KTVU was on hand in the courtroom for Monday's opening statements, and some evidence was presented as well."
The trial for the 2021 sidewalk killing of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee began with opening statements at San Francisco Superior Court nearly five years after the attack. Antoine Watson, a Daly City resident who was 19 at the time, faces charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and inflicting injury on an elder. Legal motions, courtroom debates over evidence, and the recall of former DA Chesa Boudin contributed to repeated postponements. Prosecutors argue implied malice from striking an elderly man, while the defense frames the attack as impulsive and unplanned. Court testimony included an SFPD officer describing Ratanapakdee’s injuries and jurors viewing a photo of him.
Read at sfist.com
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