Judge Boasberg says he's contemplating 'contempt proceedings' over Trump deportations

[MayReasonRule]

Source: ABC News via yahoo!News

Nearly three weeks after President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to remove more than 200 alleged migrant gang members to El Salvador with little-to-no due process, a federal judge on Thursday is considering whether the Trump administration defied his court order by deporting the men.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said at a hearing Thursday that he is contemplating initiating "contempt proceedings" against the government in the event he finds probable cause they deliberately defied his March 15 order that barred removals under the Alien Enemies Act and directed two flights carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members be returned to the United States.

Boasberg questioned DOJ attorney Drew Ensign over the best way to proceed in the case in the event he determines the government violated his verbal order that the flights be returned to the U.S.

"If I don't agree, I don't find your legal arguments convincing, and I believe there is probable cause to find contempt, what I'm asking is how -- how should I determine who [is at fault]?" Boasberg asked.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/judge-hear-arguments-over-whether-142009550.html

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Additional Coverage at KCRA 3 NBC

[SSJVegeta]

1. The fuck is there to "consider?" They are blatantly saying the courts don't matter and they can ignore anything judges

...tell them?



You don't have to go further than public speeches to prove a crime has been committed.

[MayReasonRule]

4. Boasberg Shares Your Rage -- Valor Is The Better Part Of Honor -- Discretion Is The Better Part Of Valor

This is not Merrick Garland.

Not by a damn sight.

Boasberg is angling for Justice.
Boasberg clearly understands how difficult that will be to achieve as each of his actions rise through the rest of our Judicial system.

Boasberg is not a fool.
Boasberg is not a traitor.
Boasberg is not a simp.

Contempt proceedings against the Government require much beyond an onerous level of proof.

Boasberg is fighting the fight valorously.

Here's to a clean knockout!

[SSJVegeta]

5. Well said, thank you!!

It's just so frustrating to be watching it all happen in real time...

[MayReasonRule]

6. Right On Y'all!!! Each Of Us Here Shares Your Rage. I Guarantee It.

Here's a little encouragement from Raw Story...

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Judge 'looks very likely' to hold Trump officials in contempt: legal expert

trump and company ignored a clear ruling by this court and acted in bad faith. Contempt is appropriate
https://bsky.app/profile/realtuckfrumper.bsky.social/post/3llwp7dzy5l2j

Link to tweet

https://www.rawstory.com/judge-boasberg-contempt-2671671151/

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg on Thursday asked some eyebrow-raising questions that made at least one expert believe that he's likely to hold some Trump administration officials in contempt.

As reported by legal journalist Adam Klasfeld, Boasberg on Thursday asked "a series of questions about whom he should find in contempt if he finds probably cause for such an action."

Shortly after this, according to Klasfeld, Boasberg asked, "If I find probable cause for contempt, would the government want an opportunity to purge the contempt?"

Boasberg has been overseeing a lawsuit filed on behalf of Venezuelan immigrants who were detained and flown to a prison in El Salvador even after he had issued an order for them not to be deported from the country. He has often expressed frustration with administration officials' answers to his questions about the case.

According to New York University Law School professor Ryan Goodman, Boasberg's questioning on Thursday makes it look like he's ready to take the next step.
"Chief Judge Boasberg looks very likely to hold U.S. officials in contempt and is now drilling down on: WHO exactly made the decision not to turn the planes around or otherwise return the detainees? Would government bring back the detainees to undo contempt?" he observed on BlueSky.

[hueymahl]

3. This could get interesting

Talk about a constitutional crisis!

What is that old Chinese curse? "May you live in interesting times"

[PSPS]

7. LOL. Add the term "contemplating" to the long list of meaningless judicial utterances.

[MayReasonRule]

8. Hmm... You Think So Huh... Honestly, My Personal Assessment Is He's Not Fuckin' Around...

This is not Garland.

A contempt case against the government requires proof waaay... beyond an onerous burden.

My take is he's gettin' the job done.

Time will tell.

[bluestarone]

9. Might get to the question, Can a president pardon

HIMSELF? i'm betting that it was TSF that made the call to continue.

[calimary]

15. I'd expect him to try to.

These days, he’s about seeing how far he can push it before somebody finally stops him.

Just sign me: “Desperately Seeking BACKBONE”!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. And Trump Administration officials are now at risk of being found in Contempt of Court.

Link to tweet

[usonian]

11. LOCK

[usonian]

12. THEM

[usonian]

13. UP

[calimary]

14. Do it, Judge Boasberg!

Just DO IT.

[2naSalit]

16. JUST FUCKING DO IT!!!

JFC!!

[Martin68]

17. Stop contemplating and uphold the law goddamit!

[republianmushroom]

18. "contemplating",

Yup 'I'm contemplating. love that word. chuckle chuckle

[Grins]

19. Excuse me, but fuck him.

He will roll over just like every judge and every court has FOR YEARS to the ambulatory constitutional crisis.

Our courts are a complete failure.

[orangecrush]

20. Hasn't happened yet

We shall see.

[NJCher]

23. Didn't your high school English teacher tell you

To avoid all-encompassing statements like this?

Our courts are a complete failure.

The problem with such a statement is that there is a real good chance someone can respond with a fact that will prove you wrong.

Have you not been to the Litigation Tracker?

Why don’t you just trot yourself over there and see all the “complete failures?”

[MayReasonRule]

27. I Agree...

This is not Merrick Garland.

Not by a damn sight.

Boasberg is angling for Justice.
Boasberg clearly understands how difficult that will be to achieve as each of his actions rise through the rest of our Judicial system.

Boasberg is not a fool.
Boasberg is not a traitor.
Boasberg is not a simp.

Contempt proceedings against the Government require much beyond an onerous level of proof.

Boasberg is fighting the fight valorously.

Here's to a clean knockout!

[Grins]

28. No. I stand by my statement.

The courts have failed us. And so have some pretty major law firms!!

Scores of grand juries convened and indicted Trump, an alarming number of Courts convened, juries were empaneled, verdicts were rendered and - Nothing!

As I write this I'm listening to the news that the Chief Justice issued a temporary pause on a lower-court order by U.S. District Judge requiring DoJ officials to bring back a 29-year-old Salvadoran immigrant who was deported despite a court order forbidding it!

I have many more (many of which I'm sure you already aware) but I'm not going to list them.

I don't recall my high school English teacher telling me that. But my logic teacher did. My history teachers all held up the courts and checks and balances on the three branches of government as the jewels in the Crown. I don't know if they would say that today.

[NJCher]

29. LOL

OK, stand by your erroneous statement. "Scores" (even if it was true) is not "all," which is the argument you were trying to make. You just defeated your own argument by using this word. Now I don't know what the hell you're saying, nor do you.

Furthermore, the SC is known to be corrupted by Leonard Leo and republicans, so the evidence that you think is most convincing is utterly unconvincing to me. The court system is more than the SC. That's for those of us who have the broad view of history and who are not caught up in the moment like you seem to be.

[malthaussen]

21. Yeah, whatever. Wake me when he actually *does* something. n/t

[louis-t]

22. Then they'll try to impeach him.

[Fla Dem]

24. Stop comptemplating! DO IT!!!

[republianmushroom]

25. Believe we are about to see how many are above the law.

[quakerboy]

26. What exactly would that do

Specifically real world effects, if this judge were to go beyond "contemplating" and make a ruling of it, what exactly would happen?

[Hotler]

30. Garland contemplated for 23 months. nt