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.
Trump downplays Venezuelan airspace ‘closure’ after Maduro phone call
Over Half of Childless Women Do Not Want to Become Moms
Trump makes 11th-hour plea for Matt Van Epps over Aftyn Behn, whom he claims ‘hates Christianity’
Pope Leo says two-state solution ‘only solution’ to Israel-Palestine conflict
China Arrests 18 Church Leaders Amid Crackdown on Christianity
One of the Oldest Copies of Scripture Coming to the US
Sen Cory Booker marries fiancé Alexis Lewis in intimate DC ceremony
Ahead of ICE ops, New Orleans police leader lambasted for comments about enforcement of immigration law
Electricity Bills to Skyrocket This Holiday Season: Here’s Why
Trump freezes Afghan visas after DC shooting — as he quietly eyes land strikes in Venezuela
Red State Reignites Redistricting Battle After Trump Lights a Fire Under Republican Leadership
Scott Jennings Delivers Perfect Retort When Asked About FBI Investigating Dems Who Told Military to Ignore Trump
Congress races against 3-week deadline to tackle massive year-end legislative agenda
Luigi Mangione case: DOJ demands potential death penalty stay on table for accused assassin
Top 5 game-changers from the 2025 campaign trail
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.
