On Thursday, the office of United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan disclosed the conviction of a Pittsburgh man, James Taric Byrd, on charges stemming from an outburst in court last year. Byrd, who is 47 and already serving a life term plus additional years for federal drug and firearm offenses, was tried and found guilty by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville of contempt of court and assaulting his court-appointed lawyer during the proceedings of a separate trial, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The incident that led to Byrd's recent convictions occurred on July 18, 2022, when Byrd struck his attorney in the head while on trial for unrelated charges, this action disrupted and delayed the trial proceedings, resulting in obstruction of the administration of justice and the trial taking place in the Joseph F. Weis Jr. U.S. Courthouse, the entire ordeal according to a preponderance of evidence was an attempt by Byrd to incite a mistrial and hold up the 2022 jury trial.
Assistant United States Attorneys DeMarr W. Moulton and Soo C. Song represented the government in prosecuting the case, which after the attack led Byrd to receive an additional eight-month sentence in May 2023 for possession of contraband in prison, which was only a few months after he got his initial life sentence in January of the same year. Judge Colville is now set to sentence Byrd for contempt of court and assault on December 18 where Byrd could face up to life in prison, a fine, or both adjusted based on the gravity of his misconduct and his criminal history.
