NEW: The U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston has indicted Massachusetts state judge Shelley Richmond and a court officer with obstruction of justice tied to an effort to impede an ICE officer from taking custody of a person who had been in the U.S. illegally, according to court docs
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) April 25, 2019
This is what real obstruction in an ongoing investigation looks like.
Via WCVB5
Federal authorities are charging a Massachusetts District Court judge and a trial court officer with obstruction of justice and other crimes, according to an indictment obtained by 5 Investigates.
Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and Wesley MacGregor, the trial court officer, are accused of conspiring to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement from taking an immigrant into custody at Newton District Court on April 2, 2018.
The immigrant, who had been deported twice before, was arrested four days earlier for narcotics possession and being a fugitive from justice in Pennsylvania. When his fingerprints were taken, ICE became aware of the arrest.
ICE issued an order for a federal immigration detainer and sent an officer to the courthouse.
In the courtroom, Joseph ordered the courtroom recording device to be turned off in order to conceal the conversation about the plan, the indictment said.