Declaration Says Judge Rupert Byrdsong Tried to Sway a Jury by Cooking for Jurors
Article overview: A declaration says Judge Rupert Byrdsong cooked for jurors and alleges that the gesture increased his influence over them. This post presents the declaration’s accusation and its argument that the conduct affected the verdict.
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Unknown to us, there is another warrior standing up to the legal version of the Stasi [1] … Leila Al Faiz. We hope to have you as a guest blogger sometime.
“Indeed, the Court (Judge Byrdsong) went to great lengths to curry favor with the jury, even cooking a meal for them. (Al Faiz Decl. ¶ 33.) As a result, the Court probably carried even more sway with the jury.
Absent the misconduct, it is reasonably probable a more favorable verdict to Plaintiff would have resulted. Lewis, 162 Cal.App.3d at 657. The uncontradicted evidence showed Plaintiff had ADHD, which made it difficult to work in a noisy space. Defendant did not dispute these facts and even conceded Plaintiff had a disability. The jury’s finding otherwise was against law, or certainly unsupported by the evidence. In sum, it is reasonably probable that the jury’s verdict would have been different had the trial judge refrained from conveying its disdain towards Plaintiff and her counsel and undermining the evidence supporting her claims. Sturm, 37 Cal.4th at 1243-1244.
Accordingly, Plaintiff respectfully requests that the Court grant a new trial on all issues.
Dated: September 25, 2023 LEILA AL FAIZ AT LAW
By: /s/ Leila AL Faiz
LEILA AL FAIZ
Attorney for Plaintiff
[1] “Stasi” pronounced “Stazy” is the slang term for “Ministerium für Staatssicherheit” or “Staatssicherheit,” which was a governmental behemoth and the ruthless and despicable official state security service of the communist former East Germany. The citizenry of East Germany, in response to Rampart-style antics of the Stasi, stormed the Stasi headquarters around the time of the Berlin Wall collapse and eliminated the Stasi. Thankfully!
Why alleged jury influence is intolerable
The declaration says Judge Rupert Byrdsong tried to sway jurors by cooking for them. Jurors must decide from admitted evidence and instructions, not personal favors from the judge. Even the appearance of cultivating a jury’s affection during a live matter demands direct scrutiny.
Continue with the Judge Rupert Byrdsong source archive.
Related reading: For related context, read Filed Court Documents Accuse Judge Rupert Byrdsong of Religious Discrimination and Retaliation, Sworn Declaration Accuses Judge Rupert Byrdsong of Undisclosed Relationships and Retaliation, Nancy Anfanger Statement Accuses Judge Rupert Byrdsong of Bias and Undisclosed Relationships.
