Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court publicly reprimands judge over 2018 ICE escape incident
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a public reprimand to District Court Judge Shelley Joseph for actions that helped an immigrant flee ICE custody in 2018.
In a rare public rebuke, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts reprimanded District Court Judge Shelley Joseph for facilitating an immigrant's escape from ICE custody after a 2018 hearing. The court said Joseph's conversation with the defendant's lawyer, her suggestion to detain the individual in state custody, and her order to disable the courtroom audio recorder created an appearance of impropriety. The reprimand stems from a hearing officer's recommendation to the Commission on Judicial Conduct, which concluded Joseph engaged in willful misconduct.
Attorney Elizabeth Mulvey contended the narrative had been exaggerated and noted the public’s split view of the judge as either a hero or a criminal. Federal obstruction of justice charges were dismissed in 2022 after Joseph self-referred to the oversight body, which later found her conduct unbecoming of a judicial officer.
