A federal judge found James Taric Byrd guilty of contempt of court and assault after a non-jury trial. Byrd, 47, struck his court-appointed attorney during a 2022 trial on unrelated charges, disrupting the proceedings and obstructing justice.
Currently serving a life sentence plus 20 years for narcotics and firearm violations, Byrd’s assaultive conduct was believed to be an attempt to cause a mistrial and delay the 2022 trial.
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This is not Byrd’s first conviction since his life imprisonment sentence. In May 2023, he was found guilty of possession of contraband in prison and received an additional eight months of incarceration.
Byrd’s sentencing for the contempt of court and assault conviction is scheduled for December 18, 2024. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine, or both.
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The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeMarr W. Moulton and Soo C. Song, with the investigation conducted by the United States Marshals Service.
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