Witness Scared Off, Defense Under Investigation

A San Francisco defense attorney - already under fire for orchestrating an incident in which alleged gang members stood in court as a witness testified against their friend - is at the center of what a judge called a "reprehensible" attempt to keep a victim of an attempted murder from testifying.

San Francisco police say a private investigator working with defense attorney Eric Safire repeatedly called Ladarius Greer, 21, the victim in the attempted murder case against Safire's client Phil Pitney, 19. Greer has now vanished, and the trial started Tuesday without him.

Safire denied knowing about any effort to prevent Greer from taking the stand.

Pitney, who prosecutors say is a member of the Eddy Rock gang in the Western Addition, is accused of shooting Greer in the head at Fillmore and McAllister streets on April 12. He is charged with attempted murder with a gang enhancement.

In one cell phone message that Greer provided to police before he vanished this month, private investigator Steve Vender told Greer that he was being sought in a warrant out of Solano County and would be arrested if he showed up in court in the Pitney case.

Vender then suggested that if Greer didn't testify, prosecutors would be forced to drop and refile the charges. He indicated that a critical date for the case was Oct. 13.

"OK, so it's October and it's a good time to visit the Fresno Riviera ... and stay well," Vender said in the message, a transcript of which was introduced in court.

Police said in reports given to the prosecution that the call had been made from Safire's law office.

Read more here.