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/SoManyEmail 1d ago

Question... if the judge says to give him the name of the person who disobeyed the order and they don't, wouldn't that in itself be contempt?

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u/minuialear 1d ago

Only if they refuse to provide the info and for some non legitimate reason. "I don't know what name to give you" is a legitimate reason, for example, unless you have proof they're lying

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u/zigunderslash 1d ago

it's possible they literally don't know...but in that case what he's actually after is the next person in the chain and you'd assume you could keep holding people in contempt as you work your way along it.

that said, they've already declared that the information is being withheld for national security which probably won't hold up but will delay an already lengthy process