A Pittsburgh man, James Taric Byrd, has been sentenced to an additional 110 months in prison for contempt and assault charges. This sentence will run consecutively to the life sentence he is already serving for previous drug and firearms convictions. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
The sentencing was delivered by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. The charges stem from an incident on July 18, 2022, when Byrd assaulted his attorney during federal criminal trial proceedings related to another case. In 2023, Byrd received a life sentence after being found guilty of firearms and narcotics offenses. He also faced convictions for rape and other crimes in 2024 at the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti commented on the case: “This defendant’s vicious attack upon his court-appointed defense attorney within the walls of the Joseph F. Weis Jr. U.S. Courthouse was an assault upon the rule of law.” He added that the significant consecutive sentence reflects the gravity of Byrd's actions and praised the United States Marshals for their swift response.
Judge Colville took into account victim impact statements and Byrd's extensive criminal history before determining that such a severe sentence was necessary to deter similar behavior in the future.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys DeMarr Moulton and Soo C. Song. The investigation leading to Byrd's conviction involved both the United States Marshals Service and Allegheny County Police.