Judge's swift arrest for illegal's courtroom escape contrasts with Biden DOJ handling of similar case in 2022
A Massachusetts judge who allegedly let a twice-deported illegal immigrant evade ICE capture in 2018 is now facing the prospect of removal from the bench six years after federal charges were first filed against her and three years after those charges were dropped by the Biden administration.
By contrast, the Trump administration swiftly arrested a judge in Wisconsin for committing a similar offense just a week after the incident.
Judge Shelley Joseph of the Boston Municipal Court is facing charges of "willful judicial misconduct" for allowing illegal immigrant Jose Medina-Perez to slip out a side door to avoid ICE in April 2018, according to the Boston Herald.
She was originally charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice in 2018 by Trump-appointed then-U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. However, in 2022, the Biden Department of Justice agreed to drop the charges against Joseph after she agreed to refer herself to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct. That state commission did not file charges for disciplinary action against Joseph until late in 2024, with her hearing date set for June 9.
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Joseph's case stands in stark contrast with the swift actions of the Trump administration to punish Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, who is also alleged to have facilitated a courtroom escape for an illegal immigrant.
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According to charges filed in the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, Dugan allowed illegal immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz to exit her court via a restricted door after federal agents arrived to arrest him on April 18.
Dugan demanded that the federal officers proceed to the chief judge's office and, after his hearing ended, escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint.
Just a week after this incident, Dugan was arrested by the FBI and charged with federal charges of felony obstruction of a federal agency and concealing a person to help them avoid arrest, which is a misdemeanor.
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Dugan is currently prohibited from exercising her judicial powers and will remain barred pending further order by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted Dugan's actions on Fox's "America Reports."
"We could not believe that a judge really did that," Bondi said. "You cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her. It was a domestic violence case of all cases, and she's protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime."
Bondi said Flores-Ruiz beat up two people, "a guy and a girl."
"[He] beat the guy, hit the guy 30 times, knocked him to the ground, choked him, beat up a woman so badly; they both had to go to the hospital," she said.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report. Original article source: Judge's swift arrest for illegal's courtroom escape contrasts with Biden DOJ handling of similar case in 2022
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