People v. Meeks CA4/1

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Between 2018 and 2021, Meeks recruited, or attempted to recruit, several women, including one undercover police officer, to work for him as commercial sex workers. In 2021, the People charged Meeks with: Count 1—human trafficking, victim V.B. (§ 236.1, subd. (b)); Count 2—human trafficking, victim M.S. (§ 236.1, subd. (b)); Count 3—pimping, victim M.S. (§ 266h); Count 4—pandering, victim M.S. (§ 266i); Count 5—assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, victim M.S. (§ 245, subd. (a)(4)); Count 6—assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, victim J.L. (§ 245, subd. (a)(4)); Count 7—dissuading a witness, victim J.L. (§ 136.1, subd. (b)); Count 8— pandering, victim J.L. (§ 266i); and Count 9—pandering, undercover officer (U.C.) (§ 266i). A. Evidence Presented at Trial The primary victim, M.S., did not testify at trial. The prosecution presented its case through the testimony of several Riverside County Sheriff’s Officers, including an investigator that testified as an expert witness, deputies that contacted Meeks and M.S. at various times, a deputy that acted as the U.C. officer identified in count 9, and two other…