Lori Vallow Daybell: ‘Doomsday Mom’ files motion to remove judge from her Arizona case

PHOENIX – Just days ahead of her second trial in Arizona, the so-called ‘Doomsday Mom’ has made another move aimed at removing the judge who is presiding over the case.

What we know:

According to legal documents we received, Lori Vallow Daybell has filed a motion to remove Judge Justin Beresky from the case, citing “personal bias or prejudice against her.”

“As a result, the defendant cannot receive a fair or impartial hearing or trial before this Court,” read a portion of the documents.

In the documents, Vallow Daybell stated that she had made motions for Judge Beresky to recuse himself from her cases, and alleged that he has “refused to recuse, knowingly and willingly violating the code of Judicial Conduct.”

Vallow Daybell also alleged that a rule related to speedy trials was violated, as well as alleging religious beliefs discrimination based on words Judge Beresky said during trial proceedings on April 9.

Dig deeper:

In her latest motion, Vallow Daybell specifically mentioned an occasion on May 14 when she requested that Judge Beresky step down during a court proceeding. The exchange was captured on video.

“I don’t have any personal bias, alright?” Judge Beresky told Vallow Daybell, in the video.

“You denied every single one of my motion for the year and a half that I’ve been here,” Vallow Daybell said. “Every single one of my motions [have] been denied.”

In response, Judge Beresky said that 15 minutes prior to the exchange, he granted a motion for Vallow Daybell to meet with her attorneys over lunch.

While Vallow Daybell was representing herself (known in the legal profession as “pro se”) during the trial, two lawyers were considered by the court to be Vallow Daybell’s ‘advisory counsels.’

“That’s the first motion  that you’ve ever granted,” Vallow Daybell said.

“File motions that have a legal basis, and I might grant them,” Judge Beresky replied. He later rejected Vallow Daybell’s motion for him to recuse himself from the case.

This is not the only motion Vallow Daybell has filed recently: on May 23, we reported that a judge has denied her request for a new trial. In that motion, Vallow Daybell claimed one of the jurors in the case had knowledge of her previous convictions in Idaho before a verdict was reached. Judge Beresky ultimately ruled that Vallow Daybell “failed to establish any ground for a new trial.”

The backstory:

In Arizona, Lori Vallow Daybell was found guilty in April of conspiring with her now-deceased brother to kill Charles Vallow, who was Vallow Daybell’s former husband.

Vallow Daybell’s first trial in Arizona took place years after she was found guilty in Idaho on multiple charges, including two counts of first degree murder in connection with the deaths of Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan. Both JJ and Tylee were Vallow Daybell’s children. Her current husband, Chad Daybell, was also convicted of murder in connection with the deaths of JJ, Tylee, and Daybell’s first wife Tammy. He was subsequently sentenced to death.

What’s next:

Vallow Daybell, who is also accused of attempted murder in connection with an incident involving her ex-nephew-in-law Brandon Boudreaux. That trial is expected to start in June 2025.

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