Posted on 01/16/2026 2:55:56 PM PST by artichokegrower
The jury has reached a verdict in the murder trial of Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old man who was killed in San Francisco's De Anza neighborhood in 2021.
Antoine Watson is guilty of involuntary manslaughter and guilty of force likely to produce great bodily harm, but not guilty of murder in the first or second degree.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc7news.com ...
"I think what the defense was able to demonstrate was this was an impulsive act by a young man, not a targeted attempt to kill," said legal analyst, Steven Clark.
Watson testified he did not notice Grandpa Vicha's age or race, but was angry after a bad day.
Having a bad day. His victim was having a worse day
Antoine should be executed immediately.
Can’t risk any further “impulsive” murders.
“”a street in his neighborhood has been renamed “Vicha Ratanapakdee Way.””
Probably only Thais are able to pronounce the name of the street when they’re asked...the rest of us couldn’t, I’m sure.
Sad case. Just WHEN do people realize there are always consequences to their actions? Doesn’t look like he’ll serve much time - already has 5 years in waiting for a trial - INCREDIBLE!
This is just now being brought to trial? I live a few miles from that area, and recall when it happened; years ago.
Just a few weeks before Chinatown usually has it’s popular Chinese New Year Parade, with all the drumming and the Dragons.
I’m only surprised the delay is not being blamed on “all the miscellaneous chaos of the COVID Era”.
Of course it was a Hate Crime.
It was NOT involuntary manslaughter.
The jury must have been bussed in from either Oakland or Richmond, Ca.
Yogi?
Yes, Boo-Boo.
Second degree murder at a minimum. But forget it Jake, it’s San Fran-Sicko.
That’s not an excuse “having a bad day”. Thousands of people have a “bad day” but they don’t go around murdering people. Jeez!
Having a bit of a problem with this verdict. Defendants in bar fights usually have a defense. Such as they were defending themself from the other guy and when they hit back the guy fell and whacked his head on the edge of a table and died, something like that. The only defense this guy had was he “had a bad day?”
Our court systems are clogged up and after covid it got twice as bad.
It is too easy to slow down the wheels of justice because there are so many little regulations and loopholes that lawyers can exploit and lawyers are willing to exploit them fully even when they know the client is guilty.
The cases where lawyers are getting enough pay to make their time worthwhile occupy the court time. The cases where the laeyers don’t make much profit are where they pressure you to plead to lesser charges to make it easy even if you aren’t guilty because the lawyers, judges and juries just want to finish and go home.
“The jury has reached a verdict in the murder trial of Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old man who was killed...”
It’s the murder trial of Antoine Watson. Even in SF, the victim is not the one on trial. Journalist Dan Noyes is either distorting reality to fit a sick racial agenda, is an illiterate moron, or both.
You’re probably right. I’ve never used a lawyer thus far, and I don’t have any experience being on trial or even observing a trial. I’m not counting a class trip to a courtroom several Ice Ages ago.
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