A California courtroom descended into chaos this week during a pretrial hearing for two alleged members of the Zizian cult, a group founded by the eccentric Jack Ziz LaSota. Defendants Alex Leatham and Suri Dao, charged with the attempted murder of their former landlord, created a spectacle that overwhelmed the proceedings.
Leatham, who goes by the name Somni, began screaming incoherently shortly after being brought into the Solano County Courthouse. The outburst was so severe that bailiffs were forced to remove him from the room, pausing the hearing before it could properly begin. His vocal disruptions could still be heard from outside the courtroom after his removal.
The disorder continued with the behavior of the defendants’ attorney, who engaged in a prolonged and loud argument with the presiding judge. The lawyer aggressively challenged the court’s authority and the validity of the charges, leading to a tense back-and-forth that further delayed the hearing. The judge repeatedly called for order, attempting to move the process along despite the constant interruptions.
The two individuals at the center of the hearing are followers of Jack LaSota, a charismatic leader known for wearing a cape and promoting a strict vegan lifestyle. LaSota founded the Zizians with the stated goal of saving humanity from the perceived threat of a killer artificial intelligence. The group has been described by former members as an insular cult centered around LaSota’s apocalyptic prophecies.
The attempted murder charges stem from a violent attack on the pair’s former landlord, Curtis Lind. According to authorities, the assault was directly motivated by the cult’s radical ideology. The case has drawn significant attention due to the unusual beliefs of the group involved and the severity of the alleged crime.
Following the removal of Leatham and the lengthy arguments from the defense attorney, the judge was finally able to proceed. A trial date was officially set for the two defendants, though the circus-like atmosphere of the pretrial hearing suggests the formal proceedings will be highly contentious. The hearing concluded with the court preparing for what promises to be a complex and unusual trial, deeply intertwined with the bizarre doctrines of the Zizian movement. The entire episode highlights the challenges the judicial system faces when dealing with cases involving deeply held, non-mainstream beliefs that allegedly motivate criminal acts.
