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.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and AG Keith Ellison Set to Testify Before Congress About Massive Fraud Allegations
Conservative group blasts LinkedIn for removing pro-ICE post, labeling it ‘hateful’
Famed filmmaker presses Democrats to put ‘citizen-led’ presidential primary first
He’s Not Joking: Jim Acosta Claims Don Lemon Was Arrested Because He’s Black
LAPD arrests violent agitators after protests erupt outside federal detention center in Los Angeles
Government shuts down again after Democrats revolt over DHS funding
Left-wing activists storming synagogue use knee pads, adult diaper to mock Dem congressman over ICE vote
ICE lodges detainer for illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting teen
US approves massive arms sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia for more than $15 billion amid Middle East tensions
Letitia James fires attorney consumer fraud over criticism of pediatric ‘gender care’
Saudis won’t let the US use its bases or airspace for an attack on Iran, senior Gulf official reveals
DOJ Releases Massive Trove of Epstein Files Documents, Statement on Trump Involvement
Rep Jeffries escalates rhetoric against Noem, says DHS leader should be ‘put on ice permanently’
Coast Guard searching for survivors after commercial fishing boat sinks off Massachusetts; 1 body recovered
‘Opening Pandora’s Box’: Mike Johnson backs Trump after warning White House about deal with Democrats
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.
