ITS ABOUT GODDAMN TIME

by Bob Walsh

ICE is biting back. Yesterday they indicted a sitting Massachusetts judge and her former court officer for conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury for setting up a situation to sneak an undocumented democrat from Dominica out of the court to avoid an ICE agent waiting to take him into custody, probably for his third free ride back home. The court officer actually walked him and his lawyer down to get his property and then let him out a locked back door. The judge ordered the recorder in the court turned off, in violation of law, so that she and the illegal's lawyer could set up his get-away. This incident happened a year ago. The illegal, identified only as A.S., has since been captured by the feds.

Shirely M Richmond Joseph, 51, has been on the district court in Newton for about two years. It is normally a life-time appointment.

Both Judge Joseph and Wesley MacGregor, 56, have pleaded not guilty. The judge's mouthpiece is decrying the indictment as political. McGregor retired a month ago.

Joseph had ordered the ICE agent, who was in plain clothes, out of her courtroom and directed him to wait in the court house lobby.

I am not totally up on the matter but I have a sneaky hunch that a federal felony conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice might lose her her cushy job. I also wonder if MacGregor, the court officer, might find his pension in jeopardy for misconduct in office.

With luck, this is just the start of the landslide. I am not betting the rent on it, but it would sure be nice.