Boasberg held there was probable cause to show the government's transfer of immigrants to CECOT without due process was a willful violation of his order.

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.”

    • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgOPEnglish
      971·
      6 days 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.

        • smeenz@lemmy.nz
          5·
          5 days ago

          There’s a very good chance he’ll accidentally fall out of a 10th storey window

      • ceenote@lemmy.world
        461·
        6 days 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.

        • oyo@lemm.ee
          4·
          6 days ago

          You still need to do it. And then add in some unpardonable civil contempt.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
      23·
      6 days 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.

        • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
          42·
          6 days 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.

          • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
            32·
            5 days ago

            That’s assuming people actually turn out to the primaries.

            And honest, extant primaries.

            • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
              21·
              5 days ago

              Congressional primaries are honest, they’re just not attended. The average Democratic congressional primary turnout is ~20%. You know who always shows for primaries? Old people, and lots of ‘em.

              • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
                32·
                5 days ago

                Congressional primaries are honest, they’re just not attended.

                Jessica Cisneros did not face an honest primary. Neither did Cori Bush, nor Jamaal Bowman.

                They faced a party that is openly hostile to progressives, and one that absolutely plays favorites.

            • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
              42·
              6 days 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
                32·
                6 days 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
                  61·
                  6 days 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 many progressives in Congress now, and they’re doing what they can to stop this. Branding them all as the worst of them is ignorant.

    • Codemancer@lemm.ee
      21·
      6 days ago

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