Stabbing Case Brought to Trial; Witness with Memory Lapse Questioned for More Than 90 Minutes

San Francisco Hall of Justice – Photo by David M. Greenwald

By Esme Lipton

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Assistant District Attorney Julia Gonzales spent 90 minutes questioning a trial witness—linked to suspect Jeffrey Eble in a stabbing case from May 2019—on Monday afternoon in San Francisco County Superior Court, Dept. 16.

The witness currently works as an on-site manager for the residential building where Eble, the alleged victim, and the victim’s father live. The witness has known Eble since 2010, claiming he’s interacted with the defendant “hundreds of times.” The witness stated he often sees Eble repairing bicycles in a designated workshop space in the building.

“Have you ever seen Mr. Eble using a sharp object while working on the bikes?” DA Gonzales asked. “Yes, a pocket knife,” responded the witness.

At one point, Gonzales asked the witness if he recalled his conversation with Sgt. (no first name available) Marino regarding the incident, to which the witness claimed he did not. The ADA then handed him a transcript of the conversation from 2019, which the witness proceeded to read. Once Gonzales asked if the document refreshed his memory, the witness replied that it did not.

The DA then presented the witness with an audio recording of the conversation; although he acknowledged that it was his voice in the recording, the witness still could not remember speaking with the sergeant.

Gonzales proceeded to question the witness in a back-and-forth dialogue:

“Do you have any memory of speaking with anyone from law enforcement about this case?” asked Gonzales. “No,” replied the witness.

“Are you aware of a conflict between Jeffrey Eble and [the victim]?”
“Yes. [The victim’s father] came to me and informed me about it,” stated the witness.

“How does it feel being called in by the prosecution to testify against Mr. Eble?”
“Nervous,” the witness hesitantly replied.

“Are you worried for Mr. Eble?”
“A little bit. He’s been friendly with me, […] we talk about my kids, we laugh. I would say he’s a friend,” stated the witness.

“What is your relationship with [the victim’s father] like?”
“We don’t talk that much,” the witness responded.

“Did you ever talk to Mr. Eble about a conflict with [the victim]? What did he tell you?”

“He worked on a bike that belonged to [the victim] and he didn’t get paid for it,” claimed the witness.

“Have you ever seen Mr. Eble angry?” “Yes,” replied the witness.

After Gonzales finished her questioning, the court called a recess. Eble’s trial will reconvene before Judge Eric Fleming on July 20 at 1:30 pm in Dept. 16.

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