Judge Byrdsong’s Collection of Filed Court Documents – Religious Freedom

Not only did Judge Byrdsong deny my requests, he proceeded to retaliate against me and engaged in harassing rulings seeking to harm me and create false accusations against me to justify his unethical conduct.

This seems to be the Stanley Mosk administration’s position regarding observant Jews: they are to be forced to appear on religious holidays and treated like dirt, or as those who are “other” and “lesser.” It’s classic religious discrimination. The aversion is frequently palpable. Judge Brazile also required me to appear on one of my religion’s highest holy days—Rosh Hashanah. Other observant Jews I am aware of have also been sanctioned at Stanley Mosk for failing to appear on holy days or told that their observance was frivolous. One observant Jewish attorney I know, who happens to be Israeli, was sanctioned for not appearing (with notice) on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), which is a day Israelis do not work. His religious observance is unique to him, and yet the court sanctioned him for participating in his religion, in violation of his constitutional civil rights.

Yet Christmas, a Christian holiday, is enshrined by this Court as a day off no matter whether you’re Christian or atheist. I do not propose that the Court make Christians work on that day, but I do insist that my religious rights be respected as well and not treated as a frivolous vacation.

Similarly, in another Farmers case pending at Stanley Mosk before Judge Small, involving the same defense counsel, Judge Small initially granted my request for a religious accommodation. He then began screaming at me, pretended another judge had granted it, and then refused to enforce it, calling me names. Someone from Stanley Mosk Courthouse clearly approached him and reprimanded him for signing the order.

Surely Judge Byrdsong, who was elected President of the LASC judges and who had the power to get his two wives elected to the Court as commissioner and then one appointed as judge, certainly could be that person.