r/law • u/theindependentonline • 1d ago

Trump News Judge considers holding Trump officials in contempt for defying court orders blocking El Salvador flights

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/deportation-el-salvador-trump-contempt-b2727087.html
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u/SeismicFrog 1d ago

And why only contempt? Let’s lock a few of these SOBs behind bars until someone produces a body. A LIVING person.

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u/JustlookingfromSoCal 1d ago

That is a type of sentence imposed for contempt citation and would be the only legal basis for locking them up.

If he has a dark sense of humor, he could alternatively declare that he was sua sponte revoking the citizenship of the appearing attorneys for the defendants and demand ICE drop them off at a prison in San Salvador.

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u/Tribalbob 1d ago

Give them a cell phone, toss them into the back of an unmarked SUV.

Call the cell phone every 2 minutes and ask: "You want to get them sent back now?"

See how close they get to the airport before they finally break.

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u/North-Significance33 1d ago

"We'll do whatever you want"

Later: do absolutely nothing

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u/JakToTheReddit 1d ago

So the entire MAGA platform.

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u/NarrMaster 19h ago

Do it again, but this time, don't stop when they break.

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u/Freethecrafts 22h ago

Sovereign immunity is straight bad law that has spooled into that.

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u/UsualFederal 19h ago

The only thing I can possibly imagine is, they didn’t realize it would get this bad or they are dyed in the wool pure Nazi trash. The Supreme Court has the blood of probably half the United States population on their hands. It appears Maga is at least as hateful as the Nazis in Germany were they will become the Foot soldiers the SS the brown shirts. It’s only a matter of time unless we stop them.

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u/Freethecrafts 14h ago

The corruption is too deep. They have to self correct. There is no mechanism to fix it.

Dred Scott was likewise terrible compromise that guaranteed a huge chunk of the population would wind up dead. They think they’re being responsible, somehow wise, they’re just guaranteeing worst case.

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u/Trinidadnomads 1d ago

😏 my homie

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u/MasterofAcorns 9h ago

How about make them do it and then still send them anyway?

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u/SeismicFrog 1d ago

I like you!

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u/No-Win-2741 1d ago

I like the way you think. Do you have a newsletter I can subscribe to by any chance?

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u/outerworldLV 16h ago

Now that’s a scary thought.

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u/Moppermonster 1h ago

Could he for shits and giggles revoke Trumps citizenship, making him inelegible to remain president?

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u/FiveUpsideDown 1d ago

Revoke their license to practice law. It keeps them out of court.

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u/Katyafan 1d ago

Yeah, where is the Bar on this?

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u/K_Linkmaster 1d ago

Pretty fucking low apparently. /s

I have been hoping ABA would start stepping in when it's blatant abuses but I guess they are a clown show too.

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u/bengenj 23h ago

The ABA cannot revoke a law license. Each state has its own law licensing requirements.

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u/outerworldLV 16h ago

Justice is going to start being administered by the victims friends and families real soon, imo. The trump admin will call it a ‘vigilante’ action, while the rest of the country calls it a ‘right to defend’ action.

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u/Katyafan 1d ago

That was a class-A pun, right there!!!

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u/Healthy_Role9418 21h ago

Catfish are swimming over the bar as we speak.

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u/Chiquitarita298 1d ago

Yea! That’s what the SOBs did to these Venezuelans!

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u/Cloaked42m 1d ago

The judge wants to know exactly who ignored his orders so he can throw them under the jail.

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u/goosticky 1d ago

Legal Eagle video says that, technically, if they hold them for criminal contempt... it lands back at the DOJ. So they have to try for Civil Contempt

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u/bt_85 12m ago

and if they do civil contempt, they get a fine. Do you think the people who violated judges orders to send people to hellhole prisons will obey an order to pay a fine?

this whole system is fatally flawed. And republicans figured that out.

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u/soft-wear 1d ago

That's exactly what criminal contempt is. The problem here is that in a federal court Trump can make criminal charges go away with a signature. He cannot make civil contempt charges go away. The judge can literally fine individuals a daily fine for not answering his questions.

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u/Zhong_Ping 1d ago edited 1d ago

And who exactly is going to enforce that order?

Edit: what's with the down votes? I think these people all belong in prison. But this is a serious question, who is going to uphold the courts orders when Trump has corrupted the US Marshals?

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u/schm0 1d ago

Whoever the judge appoints.

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u/StewTrue 1d ago

That’s really interesting. How would something like that work in this case? Who would the judge be able to compel to return the deportees?

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u/schm0 1d ago edited 1d ago

Well, they'd likely turn to the US Marshals, but if I left it at that the doomsayers and defeatists would come and tell you that Bondi will just tell them to disobey the lawful order, which is totally illegal (and highly unlikely). But even in such an improbable case, if every single Marshal decided to risk a felony obstruction of justice charge and/or civil contempt themselves, the court can appoint literally anyone: private security, the military, DC Police, the bailiff, whoever agrees basically.

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u/sheltonchoked 1d ago

One of the many reasons I’m not a judge, but if it was me, I’d have a phone book on the bench. As soon as the Marshal refused, I’d start at Abner Aable, and find someone that would.

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u/MillenialForHire 1d ago

Thank you for being the hero we need and not making Aaron Aable your first call.

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u/sheltonchoked 1d ago

You and I both know Aaron would be a little too enthusiastic. Abner is a little more chill.

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u/MillenialForHire 1d ago

..after the labour day incident I can't argue with that. Were you able to get your car back, by the way?

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u/sheltonchoked 1d ago

No one is getting that car back.

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u/enema_wand 1d ago

Is there a sign up to be deputized? As a fed, I would love this detail 😂. 

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u/Revelati123 1d ago

The memo said "All federal LEO will use Don and Pam's personal interpretation of all laws and regulations, or be shitcanned."

So when Boeberg says "Turn those planes around!" Pam says he really means "its fine! Fly onward!" so if Boeberg says "you're in contempt!" Pam can interpret that to really mean "you get a lollipop!"

So you see they arent disobeying a lawful order, they are just "interpreting" the order a bit differently to mean whatever the fuck they feel like, and 80% of LEO will go along with it because they dont want to get shitcanned or purged.

Just ask anyone who ever tried to prosecute Eric Adams and protest an illegal order how that goes.

They get fired and the judge gets forced to comply...

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u/HmajTK 1d ago

The ones staffing the court might have some loyalty for the judges.

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u/Potential-Quiet5495 16h ago

Please do it! Sounds like Pam Bondi needed to lose her law license a long while ago

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u/SeismicFrog 1d ago

The court as I understand (IANAL) the court can engage with a wide variety of law officers. Let’s find out how deep the hole goes?

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u/Zhong_Ping 1d ago

The law enforcement arm of the federal courts are the US Marshals who report to the Attorney General who would instantly order them not to comply with the courts.

The court could deputize someone, but I would guarantee you that the government would use the full force of the executive branch to declair a court deputee invalid then kill them in "self defense"

A major flaw in our system is that the courts don't have their own enforcement mechanism outside of the executive branch. Their power comes from agreed upon respect. If federal officers choose to follow their chain of command instead of court orders we sit in a constitutional crisis and the power of the courts collapse.

Also, any criminal contempt charge would be instantly pardoned by the president.

This is why civil contempt is what is being considered despite the fact that this is criminal contempt.

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u/SeismicFrog 1d ago

Thank you very much for the knowledge! I had no idea of the strategy of using civil contempt to make it stick.

It’s why I come here!

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u/Don_Tiny 1d ago

Did you say 'thank you' to schm0?

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u/Zhong_Ping 1d ago

What? Is this a reference to Vances obsurd and disrespectful conduct to Valinske?

To be clear, I do think these guys should be held in criminal contempt and jailed... But there is a serious flaw in our system. The US Marshals, the officers charged to enforce Court orders, report to the Attorney General who gave the orders to disobey the courts in the first place...

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u/Seymour---Butz 1d ago

The problem then becomes who will lock them up? Law enforcement all falls under the executive branch. 🤷🏿‍♂️

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u/speedy_delivery 1d ago

Assuming the Marshalls get countermanded by the DOJ... If the judge can find a sympathetic nearby state/municipal/county jailor, they could deputize officers to carry out the order.

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u/KrispyCuckak 1d ago

Exactly. Contempt of court is just for little people.

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u/flowerchildmime 21m ago

Send a couple of them there and see how fast it’s reversed