85-100 people have been summonsed to LA federal court for Tom Girardi jury duty

Disbarred attorney Tom Girardi, husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, is to begin trial Aug. 6 in his wire fraud case for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars from five clients.

Federal prosecutors and Girardi’s public defenders were in U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton’s courtroom in Los Angeles on Thursday for a hearing on motions, including one from the defense that asks for a jury questionnaire and one from prosecutors that seeks to exclude the testimony of a defense expert who testified in Girardi’s mental competency hearing last year.

Girardi is currently set to be tried alongside his former chief financial officer, Christopher Kamon, who has been in custody since December 2022, but his lawyers on Friday moved to sever his trial from Kamon’s. They also filed a motion to suppress evidence “obtained through warrantless searches and seizures and intentional privilege invasions.”

On Thursday, Deputy Federal Public Defender Charles Snyder described a defense that rides largely on blaming Kamon for the embezzlement. Kamon is charged separately with stealing money from the firm in his own scheme; his lawyer, Michael Severo, has filed a motion to exclude evidence of that scheme from trial.

Prosecutors oppose, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Paetty told Staton, “These schemes are connected.” Girardi’s lawyers also oppose Kamon’s motion because they say his other case is important to Girardi’s defense.

Judge Staton has not yet issued a final ruling.

Attorneys expect the trial to be 12 days, which is longer than initially anticipated and prompted Judge Staton to seek a time-qualified jury that requires earlier summons.

The judge said Thursday that 85 to 100 people have been ordered to appear at the courthouse on Aug. 1. They’ll fill out a questionnaire that includes questions about their knowledge of Girardi and Erika. Trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 6.

A hearing on the new motions, which include a request from prosecutors to tell the jury about Kamon trying to flee, is scheduled for July 27.

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