Singer Cardi B won in court and also got in the last word. The plaintiff’s lawyer in her trial was reprimanded by the judge.
A security guard accused her of assault in 2018 and filed a $24 million lawsuit. Cardi B was cleared by a Los Angeles jury back in September.
Cardi B has landed a late court battle win
According to the judge’s ruling, a forbidden question crossed the line, triggering reprimand, public admonition and added attention to the trial’s procedures. The plaintiff’s attorney, Ron A. Rosen Janfaza, was sanctioned
According to Rolling Stone, Judge Ian C. Fusselman’s six-page decision detailed why the security guard’s attorney was fined $1,500. This resulted from a question Cardi B was asked while on the witness stand last August after obvious instructions prohibiting it.
Prior to the trial, the judge strictly limited information disclosed in front of jurors. This includes discussing alleged prior behavior, such as exotic dancing or associating with gang members. In July of last year at the pretrial hearing, the judge said this information “would be unduly prejudicial and likely to confuse the jury and result in an undue waste of time.”
Ignoring the instructions, Ron asked Cardi B, “Do you have any affiliation at this time with a gang?” while she was on the stand. The defense lawyers objected and a court warning was issued. Still, the question resulted in sanctions and changed the conversation following the verdict.
Cardi B’s lawyers asked the court to hold Ron in contempt. He first made excuses, but the judge rejected them all. “The court is not persuaded by any of these arguments,” Judge Fusselman stated. He reiterated that the instructions were clear. “Mr. Janfaza was aware of the [prior] ruling and that the question was specifically drafted in an attempt to avoid directly violating the letter, but not the clear intent, of the court’s ruling. It was no accident. It was a knowing and intentional violation of the court’s ruling.”
TELL US – SHOULD THE LAWYER BE SANCTIONED FOR ASKING HIS QUESTION?
