Erratic billionaire screams at jury, apologizes, then rants anew

LOS ANGELES -- Moments after barging into the courtroom and screaming directly at the jury, Alki David told a superior court judge he came to court Friday to apologize for his behavior.

In an erratic, impassioned rant, David accused opposing counsel from Allred, Maroko & Goldberg LLP of orchestrating an illegal plot against him with several former female employees who have since sued him for sexual harassment and assault, David variously asked, demanded and begged for Judge Michelle Williams Court to reinstate his right to self-representation.

At one point appearing to cry, David said the fallout from the four trials against him thus far has threatened the livelihood of his businesses, but his weepy demeanor quickly gave way again to anger as he spoke of the opposing firm's alleged plot. Making passing reference to tie the alleged orchestrations against him to the recently deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, David claimed they'd gotten a hold of his settlement agreement with his "lesbian ex-wife" and worked with Lisa Bloom -- the daughter of firm partner Gloria Allred and one of David's perennial nemeses -- to "rig" cases against him.

Having prohibited David from further representing himself just one week prior after numerous court order violations, citing his aggressive, threatening behavior towards plaintiff Mahim Khan in particular, Court later moved to strike the defense witness list entirely. David never hired replacement counsel, intending to win back his pro per right and argue before the jury himself.

When plaintiff counsel Nathan Goldberg projected early Friday their case would rest by the morning's end, David apparently remained unaware the end of argument in the trial was imminent. Venable LLP partner Ellyn C. Garofalo -- David's former counsel, still involved in the case as counsel for the entity defendants -- called him during a break to notify him.

David was at court within the hour for one last roll of the dice. Likely anticipating an eruption from the billionaire, Court moved for a break for a discussion away from the jury. But David began to shout before the jurors had even stood from their seats.

"Please ladies and gentlemen, ask them to put me on the stand or to give me a reason why they're not putting me on the stand. It's rigged. It's all rigged," he told the jurors, who by then were out of the jury box and headed out of the courtroom. As they walked, one juror rolled his eyes while several others laughed or smirked.

Court, Goldberg and Garofalo -- each well accustomed the Hologram USA Inc. CEO's antics by now -- moved forward as if it were business as usual following the diatribe. After a few minutes back and forth, Garofalo, who again noted her representation extended solely to David's companies, asked whether David's request would be acknowledged.

"I'm not going to make any comments on rulings I've already made," Court replied.

His gambit failed, David opined that they were in America, "not Nazi Germany;" he then called Goldberg "a fucking retard." Mahim Khan v. Hologram USA Inc., BC654017 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed March 14, 2017).

"You're a horrible, revolting man," David added. "They haven't allowed me to call one witness."

For at least the third time in this trial alone, his screaming continued into the courthouse corridors in full view of the waiting jury. There, he reiterated his calls for them to take action as a growing number of bailiffs congregated.

"I may sound like an insane person," he shouted towards the jurors from the opposite end of the hall. "But I'm not."

The jury was dismissed for the day to allow counsel time to work on jury instructions. Deliberations will likely begin Monday.