Judge in Hunter Biden case sued over underage drinking party, alleged beating
LOS ANGELES — The federal judge in Los Angeles who presided over Hunter Biden’s criminal tax fraud case has been sued over a party at his home where “significant” underage drinking allegedly led to a guest being assaulted and later hospitalized.
The injured guest, Alex Wilson, filed the suit against U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi and his wife, Laura Scarsi, alleging that they were negligent in allowing teens from “various schools, including Loyola High School and St. Francis High School,” to consume alcohol without proper supervision.
The party occurred sometime in 2023 — the lawsuit offers two conflicting dates — at the Scarsis’ gated Pasadena mansion. While the festivities were underway, a fight among “heavily intoxicated underage minors” erupted in front of the Scarsis’ home and on their property, according to the suit, which was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court and first reported by Law360.
Wilson alleges that one of the guests, Jackson Dorlarque, assaulted him and struck “his head and body on a curb on the Scarsi property.” From the beating, Wilson lost consciousness, sustained a traumatic brain injury, and had to be hospitalized for more than two weeks, according to the lawsuit. The suit contends that a “major” cut to Wilson’s face has left permanent scarring that “will require” plastic surgery.
Wilson’s age, background and educational status are unclear, with the lawsuit offering just one detail: He is a resident of L.A. County. Wilson’s attorney, James Orland, did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.
In addition to the physical injuries, Wilson alleges he has suffered emotional trauma and social anxiety in the wake of the incident.
Wilson is seeking unspecified damages, arguing that the Scarsis did not properly supervise or secure the party and that they are liable “if they knowingly provide alcohol to minors or allow underage drinking to occur on their property.”
Wilson also brought an assault and battery claim against Dorlarque and his parents, Aaron Dorlarque and Jessica Brumfiel, arguing that the parents are liable for their son’s alleged conduct.
It’s unclear whether Scarsi and his wife were present during the alleged party or beating. Scarsi did not respond to requests for comment, including an email sent to the judge’s chambers. Dorlarque and his parents did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Then-President Trump appointed Scarsi, 59, to the federal bench in 2020. Before assuming his lifetime appointment, Scarsi was a prominent patent and intellectual property attorney.
From his courtroom in downtown L.A., he has presided over high-profile matters, including two cases brought by special counsel David Weiss: the prosecution of Hunter Biden and a separate prosecution of a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov.
Recently, Scarsi gained national attention after he penned a rebuke of President Biden’s reasons for issuing a “full and complete” pardon of his son, Hunter.
Scarsi was scheduled to sentence Hunter Biden, probably to prison, after Biden pleaded guilty to tax offenses. In Delaware, Biden had been convicted of illegally purchasing a gun, but the pardon wiped both convictions away.
Scarsi excoriated the president for asserting in a news release that his son was treated unfairly because of his last name. After also criticizing the president for offering an incomplete version of his son’s criminal case, Scarsi tartly noted that the president enjoyed “broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States … but nowhere does the Constitution give the President the authority to rewrite history.”
Smirnov pleaded guilty Monday to lying to a federal agent about a fake bribery scheme involving the Bidens, along with tax evasion. Scarsi is scheduled to sentence Smirnov next month; prosecutors have agreed to seek four to six years in prison.