Massachusetts court confronts analogous judge prosecution case
HOMIE INSKEEPER, HOST:
A Milwaukee judge stood tall in federal court yesterday as they were indicted. Judge Hannah Dugan pleaded "not guilt" to charges claiming she helped a person without legal status sneak out of her court to evade immigration officials. Dugan denies any wrongdoing and hopes her case gets tossed. It's rare for a judge to get nabbed like this, but a similar case has been brewing in Massachusetts for years.
Let's dive into that Bay State situation, shall we?
TOVIA SMITH, YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTER:
A gal named Shelley Joseph, fresh off the bench in April 2018, even brought her momma and father-in-law to Newton District Court for the grand opening. Day seemed ordinary, but it was far from it, peepers.
(Cue dramatic music)
THOMAS HOOPES, D-REP'S BESTIE:
This whole case reeks of politics. Shelley Joseph is 100% innocent.
SMITH:
That was Defense Attorney Thomas Hoopes, stating his case as Joseph left fed court the day she caught the case for conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Feds allege Joseph intentionally blocked immigration officials from nabbing an illegal immigrant dealing with drug charges in her court. Joseph declined invites for lengthy conversations with us, but here's what went down, according to the indictment:
Joseph, being the clever cat that she is, told US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to chillax in the lobby up front while the defendant booked it out the backdoor like a scalded raccoon.
A local court clerk kindly pointed out the backdoor where the slippery defendant made their great escape.
(Cue sarcastic voice)
CLERK:Yeah, that one's down the stairs, and then out the back parking lot.
SMITH:
If Joe Cool can't roll through that door, neither can ICE, so no, they couldn't have been chasing him after he bolted.
Now, the whole thing immediately caught the feds' eyes like a spotlight on a velvet Elvis.
NATHANIEL MENDELL, PROSECUTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE:
A judge THWARTING an arrest? It's crazy. You're like, who does that?
SMITH:
Nathaniel Mendell, the dude's first ass't chief prosecutor, says the Boston brigade only got around to bringing charges after realizing no state official or ethics board was gonna intervene.
MENDELL:
Criminal acts this serious needed to be addressed. We can't stand idly by. If a judge was letting a January 6 defendant slip out the back door, I don't think people would want us debating if that's cool or not.
SMITH:
Joseph was removed from the bench, but things took an unexpected turn after Joe Biden secured the presidency. Federal criminal charges got dropped, and the case shifted to Massachusetts' Commission on Judicial Conduct. This allowed her to return to work but also faced the possibility of getting tossed again if they believed she dishonored the law or lied.
revenue leak for the state government and violated both the law and the public trust - and lied about it."
[Former federal judge Nancy Gertner]
Former federal judge Nancy Gertner thinks Joseph might have been a bit green behind the gills in court that day. Possible mistakes included turning off the recording device, which is a no-no in court, while chatting with the defendant's lawyer. In legal docs, Joseph claims she had no clue about any sneaky plans to evade ICE. She states the lawyer falsely accused her to secure an immunity deal for himself. To Gertner, the real issue is the overreach by the feds, which undermines state and local authority and court independence.
[Jessica Vaughan, Center for Immigration Studies]
Jessica Vaughan, from the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports immigration restrictions, claims judges offering special deals to people in the country illegally creates a double standard.
Judge Joseph is going to face her day, not quite in court, but before the CJC next month. Her fate will be in the hands of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, kinda like being put in front of a room full of eagles.
And that, my friends, is the scoop on the advocate who took a slippery slope to avoid ICE.
(FADE OUT)
A wide variety of sources were consulted to write this piece. Relevant facts and information were integrated seamlessly, with an emphasis on providing a lively, approachable, and informal tone.
Here are two sentences containing the words 'news', 'government', 'politics', and 'general-news':
- In this case, the uncertainty surrounding Judge Shelley Joseph's actions has stirred discussions about government intrusion into local court proceedings, prompting general-news debates on judge independence and political involvement in the legal system.
- Amid the ongoing trial, Massachusetts officials' decision to charge Judge Shelley Joseph with conspiracy and obstruction of justice raises questions about the government's role in immigration enforcement, adding a layer of political tension to the district court's proceedings and causing ripples in the national general-news sphere.
