Calif. Appellate Court: Jury Shouldn’t Have Been Told of Food Flavoring Plaintiff’s Illegal Immigrant Status

LOS ANGELES –– A California appellate court has reversed a defense verdict in a diacetyl food flavorings case, agreeing with the plaintiff that his illegal immigrant status should not have been disclosed to potential jurors.

In the Jan. 30 opinion, the California Court of Appeal, Second District, wrote that even in the early stages of trial, the court “openly recognized the strong risk of prejudice inherent in evidence” of the plaintiff’s immigration status.

Wilfredo Velasquez said in his lawsuit that he worked with and around various mixing machines and other equipment that created airborne exposures to the chemicals while employed …