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submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by ptz@dubvee.org to c/politics@lemmy.world

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.”

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[-] baronvonj@lemmy.world 67 points 3 weeks ago

Fucking do It already. Everyone involved from the ground up.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 43 points 3 weeks ago

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.

[-] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 39 points 3 weeks ago

We need to protect that judge.

[-] ceenote@lemmy.world 17 points 3 weeks ago

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.

[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 12 points 3 weeks ago

-"Who was responsible for XYZ?"

- "I don't recall."

[-] ceenote@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

Pretty much this is what I'm worried about. Hopefully the government record keeping laws are robust enough that they can eke out a real answer about responsibility by threatening additional charges over failure to document those.

[-] oozynozh@lemm.ee 5 points 3 weeks ago

assuming they weren't sent via self-destructing Signal messages, which itself is a violation of records law

[-] O4PetesSake@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Ok, then I am holding YOU in contempt!

[-] dank953@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

Sounds like a RICO case then.

[-] ceenote@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I'm not sure you can easily turn contempt of court into a criminal conspiracy charge.

[-] Maeve@kbin.earth 8 points 3 weeks ago

Money was exchanged for ~~humans~~ human resources, in illegal activity.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 10 points 3 weeks ago

You're probably not wrong, but hopefully there's at least a paper trail the judge can work his way up.

[-] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Annnnnd then Trump Pardons them

[-] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Then you roll over like a bitch while everybody else does what they can to help, but keep quiet next time.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

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.

[-] Maeve@kbin.earth 6 points 3 weeks ago
[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

That’s assuming people actually turn out to the primaries. At least they’re doing what they can to oppose this compared to the Republican enablers.

[-] Maeve@kbin.earth 1 points 3 weeks ago

Look at the voting records since j20.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I have. What vote are you challenging? The CR was not the leverage people say it was. A shutdown would permit Trump to terminate non-essential workers under the lack of funding portion of his emergency executive order. None of the other votes are problematic in that they passed with simple majority and Democrats have minority.

They did, however, take every opportunity to confirm Biden’s pending judge appointments when Republican attendance was low, prompting Johnson’s push for proxy voting. They also mandated a 15-day vote against Trump’s emergency EO, which prompted Republicans to redefine the congressional calendar to avoid holding. They’re also the ones partnering with the ACLU to bring these cases to the courts, and are now flying to El Salvador to press Bukele into compliance.

[-] Maeve@kbin.earth 1 points 3 weeks ago

They did a lot of public performance, for sure. They also voted yes on confirmation hearings and iirc a couple of other things. But establishment Dems are not our friends. Take what you need, leave the rest.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

The ones where they all block voted no, the ties were broken by Vance. Like I said, they haven’t tipped a vote that Republicans wouldn’t have won.

I’m not a fan of centrist Democrats, but there are far more doing the right thing than not. Branding them all as the worst of them is ignorant.

[-] Codemancer@lemm.ee 1 points 3 weeks ago

He will just pardon them, there’s no reason not to it not like trump has to face the music.

[-] FistingEnthusiast@lemmynsfw.com 16 points 3 weeks ago

I'll believe it when I see it

[-] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago

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.

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

If members of his administration are convicted of crimes for following his orders, their replacements may not be as willing to overstep the law.

[-] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Dunno if anything will shake up the nut house.

[-] KMAMURI@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

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.

Tell me when the judge actually does it though

[-] Freshparsnip@lemm.ee 3 points 3 weeks ago

Go on then, go on, what's the goddamned holdup?

[-] Furbag@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

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.

[-] bystander@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Stop edging us

[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Come back when Donald wears shackles and an orange jump suit.

this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2025
138 points (100.0% liked)

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