A Massachusetts judge accused of helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE has had $127,000 in legal fees paid by taxpayers, according to a report.
In addition, a court officer who was indicted along with the judge has benefitted from $2,500 in legal fees paid by the public, the report said.
Newton District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph, 51, pleaded not guilty in April when she was arraigned in a Boston courtroom on obstruction-of-justice charges stemming from an incident that allegedly took place April 2, 2018.
Prosecutors claimed in court documents in April that Joseph, along with Court Officer Wesley MacGregor, 56, helped Jose Medina-Perez, a twice-deported illegal immigrant with a fugitive warrant for drunken driving in Pennsylvania, sneak out a back door – eluding agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — after he appeared in court to be arraigned on drug charges, according to MassLive.com.
What Actually Makes Something ‘Woke’? Highly Anticipated Video Game Sparks Massive Conservative Debate
Trump’s Day One actions reversed Biden-era health policies, including efforts to expand ObamaCare
House GOP charts roadmap to ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ cites healthcare system impact on ‘national defense’
President and first lady celebrate 20th anniversary on first week back in office
Biden Pardon Recipient Jamie Raskin Puts Forward Truly Unhinged Conspiracy Theory About Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons
Judge orders California utility to preserve evidence in Eaton fire as lawsuits pile up
Busy Chicago district known as ‘Mexico of the Midwest’ turns into ghost town as fears of ICE raids loom
House Speaker Johnson captures VP JD Vance’s first visit to the Oval Office on video
Tennessee high school shooting: 1 killed, 1 wounded, teen gunman dead of self-inflicted gunshot: police
Trump Urged to Continue His Pardon Spree for 21 ‘Peaceful Pro-Life Advocates’ Persecuted by Biden DOJ
High School Basketball Player Hailed as a Hero After Saving Opponent’s Life During Game
Newsom uses LA fires to criticize President Trump’s reversal of Biden-era climate emissions standards
Trump, GOP leaders meet at White House as president plans visit to NC, defends executive orders
Trump’s First Interview to Take Place in Oval Office, Fox News Legend to Host
‘Desperate’: Pastors, conservatives unleash on Episcopal bishop for ‘weaponizing’ the pulpit against Trump
Medina-Perez, who had been barred from entering the U.S. until 2027, was caught by immigration officials about a month after the hearing. He is currently involved in deportation proceedings after previously being deported in 2003 and 2007, the Boston Herald reported.
After her indictment, Joseph was suspended without pay but filed an appeal to have her salary of $184,600 reinstated, the Boston Herald reported. MacGregor was being paid $83,344 a year but recently retired, the report said.
A crowdfunding site, meanwhile, shows that donors have pledged more than $60,000 to help Joseph pay legal bills, according to the Herald.
Taxpayers ceased picking up the tab for the judge when she was indicted, a court official told the newspaper. She faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Story cited here.
