A Federal Judge Is on the Brink of Criminally Prosecuting Trump Officials for Contempt
A Federal Judge Is on the Brink of Criminally Prosecuting Trump Officials for Contempt
Boasberg held there was probable cause to show the government's transfer of immigrants to CECOT without due process was a willful violation of his order.
Cross-posted from "A Federal Judge Is on the Brink of Criminally Prosecuting Trump Officials for Contempt" by @remington@beehaw.org in !politics@beehaw.org
In a thundering opinion on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg announced that he had found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for defiance of his orders. It is “obvious,” Boasberg wrote, that government officials “deliberately flouted” his commands by deporting Venezuelan migrants to a Salvadoran prison on March 15 under President Donald Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. And now they must answer for their unlawful conduct. “The Constitution,” he declared, “does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders—especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it.”
Can't prosecute Trump because he's immune. Blanket pardons for his subordinates who break the law on his behalf.
Yeah, this is a nothingburger. If Congress won't impeach and remove, it essentially means Trump is a king.
Come back when Donald wears shackles and an orange jump suit.
Does his skin count?
No, that washes off, probably.
Stop edging us
No, no the judge is not. The system won't punish any of them
Fucking do It already. Everyone involved from the ground up.
Sounds like that's where it's heading:
If the government refuses this offer, Boasberg held, it must swiftly identify the officials who violated his orders so they may be criminally prosecuted, facing fines and potential jail time. Critically, Boasberg notes that if the Department of Justice doesn’t appoint a prosecutor to take the case, he will do so on his own.
swiftly identify the officials who violated his orders
I think this is likely to be the hangup. Everything with this administration is so chaotic and ad-hoc that it might be hard to pin it on a single person or group. If they don't have beyond-reasonable-doubt certainty that the person they're holding in contempt is responsible, it'll probably just get overturned, weakening the bigger Trump v Courts battle.
This is as fast a just court can go. If you want it done more quickly, we’ll need Republicans in Congress to find their spines.
They only have until the 23rd to substantiate their defense before Boasberg charges them. He also states that if Trump’s DoJ refuses to comply, he will appoint an attorney to do so.
He will just pardon them, there’s no reason not to it not like trump has to face the music.
In a thundering opinion on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg announced that he had found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for defiance of his orders
Did anyone else feel the Zeus like Thunder?? Now all we need is a finger wag and a tersely-worded letter.
Tell me when the judge actually does it though
Pardon
Cant pardon civil contempt
Precisely
Sure he is. Trump will just pardon him. The US president has officially gotten too much power.
Notes: presidential pardon is available for all offenses against the United States. All offenses against the US are tried by a jury. Contempt of court is not tried by a jury. Thus, is pardon available for contempt of court?
I don't know. When it's time, the SC will tell.
So what? Do it. Nothing will come of it. Congress sure as hell won't impeach and remove. Certainly no one will be put in any type of custody.
Sure. Do it for the record. Unfortunately it's meaningless for the foreseeable future.
So what: we have to protect this judge and act as deputies to enact his rulings or else the system collapses in favor of monarch Trump and 4chancellor Musk
Oh Congress will absolutely impeach and remove...
The judge... :(
If members of his administration are convicted of crimes for following his orders, their replacements may not be as willing to overstep the law.
Dunno if anything will shake up the nut house.
I can't believe people still believe in the courts. It's insane to watch from the outside. You enshrined a dictator who has proven many times in the past that he has no regard for the courts at all.
It can be pardoned too. Congress is the only entity that can stop this bullshit but it won't.
Go on then, go on, what's the goddamned holdup?
Patience young padwan, they need to do this right and carefully, so it fucking sticks in their eye
I seem to remember hearing that for a period of four years, interspersed with "Oh they've got him now!"
Pardon me if I don't believe it will amount to anything.
Patience young padwan, they need to do this right and carefully
This was the line for four years.