Massachusetts High Court Reprimands Judge Shelley Joseph in 2018 ICE Evasion Case
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 11
Massachusetts High Court Reprimands Judge Shelley Joseph in 2018 ICE Evasion Case
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 11
Summary
Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court publicly reprimanded Judge Shelley Joseph, concluding her conduct in a 2018 courthouse episode created an appearance of impropriety.
The ruling focused on Joseph's instruction to shut off courtroom audio during a sidebar where she discussed holding Jose Medina-Perez overnight while an ICE officer waited in the lobby.
The court said Joseph neither knew of nor approved defense lawyer David Jellinek's plan to route Medina-Perez through a lockup and out a rear sallyport exit.
That finding closes an eight-year saga that led to Joseph's 2019 federal obstruction indictment, the case's 2022 dismissal, and a three-year suspension from the bench.
Joseph remains a judge and was moved to administrative duties in December, while her lawyer said the reprimand showed the federal prosecution had been baseless.