Alameda County prosecutors are facing a major headache in their case against Oakland police Detective Phong Tran, as the key witness who claimed he coached her testimony in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars has gone missing. Aisha Weber's disappearance is a significant setback for the prosecution just weeks before Tran's trial is set to begin on March 2.
Weber had previously testified that she received money from Tran to say what he wanted, including $5,000 in cash handed to her by the detective after she finished testifying against two men accused of murder. Her claims were crucial to the case, and prosecutors now want the court to compel her to appear for Tran's trial.
Tran faces three perjury-related charges and a single count of bribery of a witness in a case that has led to a sprawling review of cases handled by him in the East Bay. The development raises questions about the fate of yet another criminal case against a law enforcement officer in Alameda County, where prosecutors have dismissed charges against nine officers in three separate cases in recent months.
The revelation comes amid growing fallout from allegations that Tran illegally coerced witnesses to secure guilty verdicts at trial. At least three murder convictions tied to the detective have been overturned in recent years, and other cases have ended in lenient plea deals or case dismissals. An Alameda County judge recently ordered an evidentiary hearing over claims that one of Tran's investigations was guided by stereotypes of Black men.
Tran's defense team has argued that he is innocent and should be allowed to face trial within 60 calendar days, with the court setting his trial date for March 2. However, prosecutors now claim that Weber, who represents two of the men whose murder convictions were tossed amid the scandal, has disappeared and refuses to cooperate.
"We watch people proceed all the time on much thinner evidence," said Adante Pointer, one of Weber's lawyers, who called on prosecutors to continue with the case despite the witness's disappearance. "If they have the heart to do justice by these victims, then they'll proceed with the case." The clock is ticking for Tran, who has pleaded not guilty and remains on leave from OPD.
The missing witness raises significant questions about the reliability of key evidence in the case against Tran, and whether prosecutors can still secure a conviction without Weber's testimony. As the trial date approaches, it remains to be seen how this development will impact the outcome of the case.
Weber had previously testified that she received money from Tran to say what he wanted, including $5,000 in cash handed to her by the detective after she finished testifying against two men accused of murder. Her claims were crucial to the case, and prosecutors now want the court to compel her to appear for Tran's trial.
Tran faces three perjury-related charges and a single count of bribery of a witness in a case that has led to a sprawling review of cases handled by him in the East Bay. The development raises questions about the fate of yet another criminal case against a law enforcement officer in Alameda County, where prosecutors have dismissed charges against nine officers in three separate cases in recent months.
The revelation comes amid growing fallout from allegations that Tran illegally coerced witnesses to secure guilty verdicts at trial. At least three murder convictions tied to the detective have been overturned in recent years, and other cases have ended in lenient plea deals or case dismissals. An Alameda County judge recently ordered an evidentiary hearing over claims that one of Tran's investigations was guided by stereotypes of Black men.
Tran's defense team has argued that he is innocent and should be allowed to face trial within 60 calendar days, with the court setting his trial date for March 2. However, prosecutors now claim that Weber, who represents two of the men whose murder convictions were tossed amid the scandal, has disappeared and refuses to cooperate.
"We watch people proceed all the time on much thinner evidence," said Adante Pointer, one of Weber's lawyers, who called on prosecutors to continue with the case despite the witness's disappearance. "If they have the heart to do justice by these victims, then they'll proceed with the case." The clock is ticking for Tran, who has pleaded not guilty and remains on leave from OPD.
The missing witness raises significant questions about the reliability of key evidence in the case against Tran, and whether prosecutors can still secure a conviction without Weber's testimony. As the trial date approaches, it remains to be seen how this development will impact the outcome of the case.
! First off, the prosecution thinks they've got their key witness Aisha Weber and then she just disappears out of thin air 
? It's like something straight outta a bad movie. And now they're trying to get her to testify against Tran in court, but she's all "nah, I'm good" 
.
. I mean, we've already seen some major blows to Tran's case - the overturning of murder convictions and all that jazz 
- but now this? It just feels like the prosecution is running out of steam 
.
. And what if she's being coerced or something? We don't know the details here 
. All I can say is, this whole thing is getting super complicated and I'm not sure how it's all gonna play out 
.
. Like, what even is going on here? First, Detective Tran gets accused of bribery and perjury, and then his main witness just disappears? It's like he vanished into thin air 
. And now, the prosecution is all like "oh no, our case is collapsing" but I'm more worried that justice is being served 
. I mean, if the witnesses are scared to testify, that's on the system, not just Detective Tran 
. We need real change, not just a bunch of lawyers and detectives playing games with the law 
. And what about all those innocent people whose lives were ruined by police misconduct? Don't they deserve justice too? 
if prosecutors can't get their act together and find another witness, it's gonna be a real challenge to convict him... and what about all those other cases that got dismissed? did the justice system really learn anything from those? i don't know man, just so much uncertainty right now 
This is getting crazy! A key witness just disappears at the worst possible time for the prosecution and now they're scrambling to figure out what to do next 
. It's like, if someone tries to coach your testimony, shouldn't that be pretty obvious? 
And with all these overturned convictions and plea deals already happening, it's hard not to wonder if there's a bigger issue here...like systemic problems within the justice system 
.
and honestly, isn't it kinda funny that the prosecution is crying foul when this is exactly how they've been playing the game in other cases? Meanwhile, Tran just gets to sit there with his hands clean and a possible "oh dear, I was just coaching my friend's testimony" alibi. Like, give me a break...
. Prosecutors are saying they have other evidence, but I'm not buying it 
. This whole thing reeks of corruption and I want justice for the victims who've been wronged 
.
and its like game on for his defense team - 60 days or less to get a verdict and prove hes innocent? thats crazy! and can u even imagine if shes actually in danger 
this whole thing is giving me major anxiety tbh
This is getting crazy! Like, what's going on with Aisha Weber just vanishing out of thin air? I mean, I get that she was a key witness and all, but you'd think someone would've been keeping an eye on her or something. Now, the whole case against Tran is in jeopardy because of this mysterious disappearance... it's like the prosecution has no one left to blame