2mo ago

A Federal Judge Is on the Brink of Criminally Prosecuting Trump Officials for Contempt

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.”

Politics @beehaw.org

Chris Remington @beehaw.org

2mo ago

A Federal Judge Is on the Brink of Criminally Prosecuting Trump Officials for Contempt

slate.com /news-and-politics/2025/04/rubio-criminal-contempt-trump-officials-cecot.html

82 comments

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.
  
  We need to protect that judge.
  
  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.
  
  Annnnnd then Trump Pardons them
- 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.
  
  Dems too.
- He will just pardon them, there’s no reason not to it not like trump has to face the music.
Tell me when the judge actually does it though
- Pardon
  
  Precisely
  
  Cant pardon civil contempt
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.
  
  I have a feeling Trump may have his own opinion on who gets to decide.
  
  What was the guys name that owned the Supreme Court?
The police will NOT side with the judiciary.
They love a strongman.
Someone just like them.
I'll believe it when I see it
- Even then, who's going to comply? Who's going to roll up in there and take people out in cuffs?
  Just another in a long list of judgements written on toiletpaper
Come back when Donald wears shackles and an orange jump suit.
- Does his skin count?
  
  No, that washes off, probably.
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.
- 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.
- 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 yeah? What's your plan for that? You volunteering to stand guard at his home with enough weapons to protect him?
  How will you help take those that face charges into custody?
- 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.
Stop edging us
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.
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
  
  The last time I fell for that was the Mueller report.
  Show me someone slowly fighting against what is happening and I will show you someone grandstanding, on the take or an idealist out of touch with things
  
  Amazing how Trump can get what he wants right away, but to get Trump under anything took us years, and didn't have him rot in jail. Weird how the "justice" system works.
  
  Patience young padwan, they need to do this right and carefully
  This was the line for four years.
  
  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.
No, no the judge is not. The system won't punish any of them
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.

82 comments