Judge Justin Beresky Is Overseeing Lori Vallow's Second Trial

The judicial system is not done with Doomsday Cult Mom Lori Vallow, who started her second trial in April 2025. This comes nearly two years after Vallow was found guilty of murdering her two children and conspiring to murder her fifth husband’s former wife. Chad Daybell, Vallow's last husband, was also convicted of killing Vallow's kids as well as his first wife, Tammy Daybell. He received the death penalty, while Vallow was sentenced to three consecutive life terms, per The New York Times.

Vallow has also been accused of conspiring with her now-deceased brother, Alex Cox, to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in 2019. Charles was fatally shot by Cox, who later took his own life. This trial is expected to last roughly six weeks and is already shaping up to be a bit of a madhouse. Vallow has chosen to represent herself and has shown little respect for Judge Justin Beresky, who is presiding over the proceedings.

According to Judge Beresky's bio, he has been a Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County, Ariz., since 2017 and has been overseeing criminal cases since 2020. Prior to that, Judge Beresky was presiding over trials occurring in family court. He has a B.A. in Secondary Education from the University of New Mexico and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law.

According to the Idaho County Free Press, Judge Beresky was first appointed to the bench in January 2018 by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. "Justin’s versatility and ability to pick up any assignment and work to improve it is admirable," said Governor Ducey. "He will be a great addition to the court." By that time, Judge Beresky had been practicing law for two decades and had started his career in 1998 as a felony prosecutor. His versatility will undoubtedly come in handy while dealing with Vallow.

One of the first things Judge Beresky did was allow cameras into the courtroom. The East Idaho News is streaming the trial on its YouTube channel. Because Vallow is representing herself, it didn't take long for Judge Beresky to educate her on what is OK and not OK in court. Before opening statements even began, the trial was delayed as Judge Beresky explained to Vallow that one of her witnesses hadn't been subpoenaed to appear, reported KUTV.

Brandon Boudreaux — Vallow's niece's ex-husband — was a witness for Vallow but was stricken from the witness list after Vallow refused to explain the relevancy of his testimony. She told Judge Beresky that she didn't want to give away her defense. Unfortunately for Vallow, the prosecution and defense always need to know who will be called to testify so they can prepare questions. Here's a twist: Vallow has also been accused of attempting to murder Boudreaux. That trial has yet to be scheduled.

There have been multiple objections to various statements made by Vallow, per Courthouse News Service. At one point, Judge Beresky had to explain to her what hearsay meant. It's going to be a long trial.