On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Courthouse News reported that Lori Vallow Daybell, convicted of murdering her two children and ex-husband in 2019, filed a motion to recuse Maricopa County Judge Justin Beresky from presiding over her third murder trial, citing allegations of judicial bias. The motion was filed as Beresky evaluates her request for a retrial following her April 2025 conviction for conspiring to murder her ex-husband, based on claims of juror and prosecutorial misconduct.
Vallow Daybell, often referred to as the “Doomsday Mom” due to her extreme religious beliefs, which prosecutors say she used to justify the murders of her children in Idaho and her ex-husband in Chandler, Arizona, is now facing a third trial in June 2025 for the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, her niece’s ex-husband.
During a status conference in state court, Vallow Daybell, representing herself, accused Beresky of bias, stating that he had denied all her motions over the past 18 months. Beresky responded that he would grant motions with a legal basis, noting that he had approved her request to confer with counsel during lunch breaks earlier in the hearing.
In her April 2025 trial, Vallow Daybell faced challenges adhering to legal procedures, including failing to properly subpoena witnesses, refusing to clarify the relevance of certain witnesses, and attempting to introduce new evidence after disclosure deadlines. Beresky remarked that he had been overly accommodating regarding her disclosure delays.
On Wednesday, she again declined to explain the relevance of two witnesses, neither of whom had been subpoenaed or deposed, questioning whether she was required to reveal her entire case to the state. Beresky confirmed that such disclosure is a fundamental part of legal procedure and subsequently denied her recusal motion.
Vallow Daybell also requested a new trial shortly after her April conviction, alleging that a juror, identified as Karl, researched her online and learned of her prior convictions before the verdict. She referenced a media interview where Karl stated he “immediately Googled her” after delivering the verdict. However, state prosecutors clarified that Karl’s statements in multiple interviews indicated he only researched her after the jury reached its verdict on April 22, 2025. During the trial, Beresky had reprimanded Karl for using his phone, which Karl attributed to texting his daughter, assuring the court it would not recur.
In her motion for a retrial, Vallow Daybell raised additional claims of prosecutorial misconduct and violations of rules concerning discovery and expert testimony. To prevent future juror misconduct in her upcoming trial, she requested that her name be excluded from juror questionnaires to avoid potential jurors researching her case. When Beresky questioned how jurors could be screened for prior knowledge without her name, she provided no response.
Earlier this month, Beresky denied Vallow Daybell’s motion to dismiss her case on the grounds of a violated right to a speedy trial. Prosecutors explained that scheduling conflicts with both the state and Beresky prevented her second trial from starting earlier. Jury selection for her third trial is scheduled to begin in Phoenix on May 30, 2025, with opening statements set for June 2, 2025.
The prosecution anticipates its case will last approximately five days. It remains uncertain whether Vallow Daybell will call witnesses, as she did not present any during her April trial.
Source: Courthouse News
