Judge Fines Attorney After Cardi B ‘Gang Affiliation’ Trial Question

Courtrooms are usually serious places. But sometimes, one question can change the mood fast. Just ask Cardi B.

Four months after a Los Angeles County jury ruled that Cardi B was not liable for assault and battery against former security guard Emani Ellis, a judge has now fined Ellis’ attorney for stepping out of line during the trial.

According to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Los Angeles County Judge Ian C. Fusselman ruled on Wednesday, Jan. 28, that Ellis’ lawyer, Ron A. Rosen Janfaza, violated a court order when he asked Cardi about possible “gang affiliations.”

And that question came with a price tag.

Before the August 2025 trial even began, Judge Fusselman made something very clear. Attorneys were not allowed to ask Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, about so-called prior bad acts. That included her past as an exotic dancer or any alleged “former association with a gang or gang members during her youth,” because those topics could confuse the jury, “result in an undue waste of time,” and would be “unduly prejudicial.”

In simple terms, the judge did not want the jury distracted by stories from Cardi’s past that had nothing to do with the case.

Still, on Aug. 26, one of the first questions Janfaza asked Cardi was, “Do you have any affiliation at this time with a gang?”

Cardi’s attorneys immediately objected. According to the decision, the judge reminded Janfaza “about the clear violation of the court’s ruling.”

The consequence? A $1,500 fine. Janfaza has until Feb. 27 to pay it and must also self-report the sanctions order to the California State Bar within 30 days.

Janfaza later tried to explain himself. He claimed his office manager had drafted the questions. He also said he was sleep-deprived and argued that the phrase “at this time” made the question relevant.

The judge was not convinced.

“The court is not persuaded by any of these arguments,” Judge Fusselman wrote, according to Billboard. “It is clear that Mr. Janfaza was aware of the [prior] ruling and that the question was specifically drafted in an attempt to avoid directly violating the letter, but not the clear intent, of the court’s ruling. ...It was a knowing and intentional violation of the court’s ruling.”

That strong wording made it clear the court believed the question was not an accident.

The fine comes months after the jury sided with Cardi.

On Sept. 2, 2025, jurors found that she was not liable in the case brought by Ellis. Ellis had claimed that the Grammy winner assaulted her in February 2018 by scratching her with an acrylic fingernail outside a Beverly Hills medical office.

Ellis first sued Cardi in 2020.

At the time of the alleged incident, Cardi was pregnant with her first child. She has repeatedly denied the assault allegations.

Cardi did admit that she was involved in a “verbal altercation” with Ellis. According to Cardi, Ellis was invading her privacy by video recording her before an OB-GYN appointment. Cardi said she had “a high level of concern” during the confrontation.

When Janfaza pressed her on why she was “concerned,” Cardi fired back with a response that quickly went viral.

“Because I'm pregnant!” she said. “And this girl’s about to f---ing beat my ass! Hello?”

The trial was serious, but it also had moments that spread quickly online. Many of Cardi’s animated facial expressions, eye rolls and blunt responses made headlines.

One widely shared moment happened after Cardi switched wigs between court days.

“Yesterday you had black hair, short hair. Today it’s blonde and long. Which one is your real hair? Or are they both real?” Janfaza asked.

Cardi rolled her eyes and laughed. “They're wigs!” she said.

“Sorry, I didn’t know that. It’s a good wig today then,” Janfaza replied.

In another exchange, Janfaza asked her, “When I’m talking to you now, are we having a verbal altercation?”

The “Bodak Yellow” performer answered, “We’re having, I’ll say, a debate,” which drew laughter from the courtroom crowd.

After the jury’s verdict was read, Cardi spoke outside the courthouse.

“I did not touch that woman. With that being said, this time around, I'm gonna be nice. The next time someone tries to do a frivolous lawsuit against me, I'm going to countersue. I’m going to make you pay, because this is not okay.”

For Cardi, the case ended in a legal win. But months later, the courtroom drama is still making headlines.

This time, it is not about a scratched fingernail or a heated hallway argument. It is about one question that a judge says should never have been asked in the first place.