The San Francisco judge who acquitted the killer ‘Umkhulu Vicha’ has a crime-free past

A sober San Francisco judge who acquitted a beloved grandfather’s killer has cut off other criminals – as her heartbroken daughter slammed the justice system as “biased.”

The 2021 killing of Vicha Ratanapakdee, known as “Grandpa Vicha,” inspired the nationwide Stop Asian Hate movement during the COVID-19 crisis after a disturbing increase in violent crimes against Asian Americans.

Antoine Watson, 25, was convicted of manslaughter in the shocking incident, which was caught on camera in January.

However, during his sentencing on Thursday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Linda Colfax sparked outrage when she ordered that he be released on probation.

Colfax technically sentenced Watson to eight years in prison but gave him credit for the five years he’s already served – and suspended the rest of his sentence if he followed the terms of his probation.

The judge said during sentencing that the arrest would have a “devastating effect” on Watson.

“He said Mr. Watson has a problem in his life because he comes from a broken family, parents fight … that doesn’t mean you can kill other people,” Vicha’s daughter, Monthanus Ratanapakdee, told the California Post.

Colfax — a former public defender who boasted of his “inclusive” courtroom with a plaque bearing his pronouns — has been criticized for treating some defendants leniently.

Last year, Colfax ordered the release of a Tesla driver charged in a multi-car crash that killed 27-year-old Mikhael Romanenko, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Jia Lin Zheng’s release pending trial was granted despite bitter pleas from the victim’s mother.

“I feel pain, I am sad, and I hope that this court will keep the defendant in custody based on his disregard for public safety and the brutal actions that happened to my son,” pleaded Julia Romanenko in the courtroom.

The 67-year-old driver has also racked up traffic in his hometown of Hawaii, including a speeding violation and one for allegedly running a red light, the Chronicle reported.

Zheng revealed that his Tesla is not working properly in this incident.

When it comes to Watson, Ratanapakdee said the sentence shows “a pattern of prior leniency.”

He said his father’s killer, who had a criminal record at a young age, had gotten second chances.

Ratanapakdee felt that Colfax was “biased” against the prosecutors.

“I’ve been on trial for almost two months now, and I’m seeing how he handles the defense.” That’s my opinion,” he said.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told The Post that Colfax’s decision was “troubling.”

“The judge was somewhat limited by the penal code that left his exposure at nine years, which is what we asked for,” Jenkins said. “But it seems that he is relying on the idea that because of his age at the time of this crime, he did not deserve further imprisonment.

“While I fully appreciate the consideration of a person’s age and youth, he took a human life – he took an innocent man’s life,” Jenkins added.

“And the fact that the judge believed his time in county jail was enough and he was sentenced to prison is troubling to me. I don’t think it teaches him the magnitude of what he did.”

Watson, who is now 25 years old, was 19 years old when he attacked Ratanapakdee, 84, beat him to the ground, hit his head and died two days later in hospital.

This brutal assault was captured on a surveillance video that went viral, causing a stir across the country.

Watson’s lawyer said he was mentally disturbed the day Ratanapakdee was killed after a family dispute.

He had PTSD from the abuse and did not know Ratanapakdee’s age or race when he violently assaulted him, lawyers argued.

A jury dismissed the murder charges and convicted Watson of involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in January.

“Antoine Watson was a depressed 19-year-old who made a bad, rash decision with tragic consequences,” Deputy Public Defender Anita Nabha said in a statement.

“The jury found that he had no intent to kill and had no knowledge of Mr. Ratanapakdee’s race or age at the time.”

Frank Noto, founder of the public safety group Stop Crime SF, noted that Colfax had to consider some mitigating factors in handing down the controversial sentence — such as good behavior in prison and Watson’s age at the time of the crime.

“The problem goes much deeper than the judges,” said Noto. “We have no reason to criticize Colfax in this case. This is the result of the laws we have.”

Still, Noto was worried about the message he was sending.

“The public defender said probation will lead to a better person because he’s getting counseling and treatment. But you have to ask yourself if that’s going to happen, and what’s going to stop him from doing this again,” he told The Post.