Was Freys receipt of book profits legal?
That brings us to the question of whether Frey can be prosecuted – either for concealing the book or for profiting from her largely self-created role as star witness. The California Penal Code prohibits non-experts in criminal cases from receiving compensation by virtue of their bearing witness. To this effect, it states, in part: “A person who is a witness to an event or occurrence that he or she knows, or reasonably should know, is a crime or who has personal knowledge of facts that he or she knows, or reasonably should know, may require that person to be called as a witness in a criminal prosecution shall not accept or receive, directly or indirectly, any payment or benefit in consideration for providing information obtained as a result of witnessing the event or occurrence or having personal knowledge of the facts.” A violation of this section is a misdemeanor — and punishment is a mere $1000 fine and/or six months in jail. Granted, the same prosecution that enlisted Frey’s help,
