Tuesday, April 29, 2025

People v. Benson (Cal. Ct. App. - April 28, 2025)

The witness to an alleged gang murder was "working as a sex worker nearby on the night of the shooting." She testifies at the first trial, which ends in a hung jury, and at the second trial, she's so worried about gang retaliation (in my mind, anyway) that she recants everything she said at the first trial as well as denies all of her former statements to the police. Defendant is convicted, sentenced to 120 years to life, and appeals.

It's not required (AFAIK) by the Rules of Court or by the California Style Manual, but were I the one writing this published opinion, I wouldn't mention -- as Justice Stratton's opinion does -- the full name of this particular (very frightened) witness. She's apparently on Facebook, after all (with her kid, no less). No reason, in my view, to further identify this former-sex-worker-turned-reluctant-gangland-murder-witness by name.