Overview
- On Dec. 5, Los Angeles County Judge Ian Fusselman rejected Emani Ellis’s motion for a retrial, leaving Cardi B’s unanimous September win in place.
- The court dismissed claims that jurors were intimidated after Cardi B tossed a pen outside the courthouse, calling the alleged effect speculative and unsupported by evidence.
- Judge Fusselman read YouTuber Donat Ricketts’s sworn declaration about the pen but concluded nothing outside the courtroom affected the jury’s deliberations.
- Arguments to bar late-added defense witnesses Dr. David Finke and receptionist Tierra Malcolm failed, with the judge noting the plaintiff also added names after cutoff dates.
- The judge signaled potential monetary sanctions against Ellis’s attorney Ron Rosen Janfaza over trial conduct and possible payment of defense legal fees, with that decision still pending.