Massachusetts Judge Charged in Federal Court With Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice, and Perjury for Helping an Illegal Immigrant Evade ICE in Her Courtroom

Another court officer was charged as well.

A judge who allegedly helped an illegal immigrant escape out the basement door of Newton District Court last spring, and the court officer who assisted, were charged in federal court today with conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling announced the indictments against Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and former Court Officer Wesley MacGregor.

Judge Joseph, the indictment alleges, allowed an illegal immigrant wanted by immigration officers to leave Newton District Court without being detained for possible deportation.

"I'm not gonna allow them to come in here," the judge is alleged to have told the man’s defense attorney. She was basically keeping an ICE officer on the outside of the courtroom....

The judge, federal prosecutors are alleging, allowed Jose Medina-Perez to walk after being arrested by Newton police on drug charges last April. He was also wanted for drunken driving out of Pennsylvania and ICE had a detainer on him.

Meanwhile, Florida governor Ron DeSantis announces his policy on sanctuary cities, which consists of one word: "NOPE."

Oh wait, there is a three word addendum to the policy: "lol get fucked"

Florida Republicans once worried that hardline immigration policies would alienate Hispanic voters and cost the party the nation’s biggest swing state. Then came Donald Trump, who carried Florida in 2016. Two years later, Gov. Ron DeSantis won election running as a Trump clone.

Now the GOP-led Legislature is heeding DeSantis' call and is poised to pass legislation cracking down on so-called sanctuary cities. The bill would mark a triumph for a wing of the party that has pushed to call the bluff of moderates and Democrats who have long predicted that anti-immigration policies would mean electoral catastrophe for Republicans.

"The last two elections were in part a referendum on the broken illegal immigration system," said Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. "Both President Trump and Gov. DeSantis ran on platforms of fixing a broken illegal immigration system and being strong under the law."

posted by Ace of Spades at 07:35 PM

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