The White House basically gave Boasberg no choice. And unless they start cooperating very quickly, possibly even if they do, they’re looking at criminal contempt like a freight train. That’s going to raise some tricky issues of penalty, but the underlying finding should be secure. What total jerks.
Send them to El Salvador
That's one scenario. The other scenario is that Trump and company prove they do not need to obey the Courts. I think SCOTUS has already paved the way for this outcome. When the courts die, our democracy is done.
“Tricky issues of penalty” …given the recent history of the punishment part of crime and punishment, expectations are realistically low. Prove me wrong. No one is going to jail. *also see twice impeached 45 and also top secret documents in resort bathroom. Pearl clutching yes. Convictions? No.
That's not totally fair. They did get 34 felony convictions at the state level. Too bad Merchan was just as much of a coward as any other person who's had a chance to stop this shit when they had the chance and punted on actually enforcing the penalty phase of the conviction.
Exactly.
will they arrest the lawyers? What happens when someone is held in contempt? Can they be disbarred?
he's getting his pardon sharpie ready
Only prison in a maximum-security, dangerous prison for the very highest-ranking Trump officials possible will send a message that is "heard" enough to change Trump's behavior.
What happens when you paint yourself into a corner based on lies.
Can Bondi be jailed?
She certainly should be, though that seems unlikely.
Lock the contemptuous up. 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲 🚬😎
Put Trump on a tether on weekends such that he must stay in the Whitehouse and not fly to Mar-a-Lago (or Bedminster) as punishment.
I think it's sweet how some people think these people care about following the law. They don't, they are criminals that have taken over the federal government and corrupted vast sections of our society. There are no three branches of government, they have been paralyzed.
I'm not a lawyer, but doesn't contempt usually come with bars at no extra charge?
Those that execute illegal orders can & should be held accountable. Prison!
Next up is for DOJ to claim they fired all those guys.
Do it, don’t wait!! 🙄
I am glad a judge has finally stood up and said enough is enough.
I predict this is going back to SCOTUS. More delay.
I hope Judge Xinis is not far behind.
Same. The two weeks of expedited discovery will be intense.
The discovery order she set is building the record for the criminal contempt barreling down the parkway.
EXACTLY.
So soon?
Oh no they are going to finger wag stronger! 'Tricky', 'interesting', 'it's going to be hard'. All that should be over. We need to start asking all our lawyers, reps, and others that have power. What are ACTUAL CONSEQUENCES going to happen? For eight years I have seen no consequences.
#DisbarPamBondi
And now Chief Justice Roberts who was so worried about his legacy is about to be hung by his own petard. Sad trombone.
Honestly, I don't think it should be reversible. They should be held in criminal contempt and completely shut down because they aren't going to stop unless they get fully shut down. All of the way. ABSOLUTELY. NO MERCY from the judicial branch starting now toward the executive branch.
Spank their fucking ass and snap them back in line for the people. The people they fucking serve. That they swore an oath to keeping the Constitution intact!
If it was you or I, we'd never be given anything resembling this amount good faith hail mary attempts... 🤣👎 They'd have told us to set down and think about our candor with the court for 30 days and that'd be the end of it... 🤷♂️
If it was me they would probably throw me in prison trying to go for the death penalty by now if I was Trump. Like seriously come on. You can't do shit like he's doing. It's so wrong and so messed up. And illegal. Trump is actually evil!
I agree. It's bad when an atheist thinks you might be the antichrist... 🤣🤷♂️
So, is someone going to jail or is this just another big bag of hot air?
The time for the courts to step up is now, if they don't they will never listen to them again. They have an out as long as they comply, if not Boasberg needs to bring down the hammer and hard, if he blinks 🍊🤡 will eat them all for lunch.
Donald Trump is a 34 count convicted felon who never had to serve time for his crimes. He has never been held accountable. He will never stop until he is finally held responsible for his crimes.
If we are a nation of rule of law, the penalties should be the same for everyone.
Even with contempt charges, there’s no justice to bring them back, right?
Ummm... federal judges can make their own deputies if the marshall refuse to do their jobs.
Let’s deport the offenders to El Salvador, starting with the vile slime at the top.
But what happens when the Administration blows through any charges??
Who’s in contempt, the doj, the felon or the whole fu**ing federal govt? I say stone them all!
And that is why they passed a Bill in the House HR Bill 1526 and it is going to the Senate next. This Bill will demolish our Judicial System and we are ALL F*CKED
5calls can help with contacting your Senator! 5calls.org/issue/federa...
The judge should reserve a holding cell and have his bailiff start detaining every govt lawyer that shows up until Bondi or Trump themselves have to come to the court and explain themselves. 🤷
Something should have been done to that traitor and the whole Republican Administration a long time ago. 🤬
Slow walk, delay, appeal, parse, repeat ad nauseum = how we got to this point.
Jail time. Too effin' bad if you're a Cabinet member.
What penalties? If he's ignoring SCOTUS, what on earth makes you think this judge has the power to do anything? He sends Marshals to arrest Noem and Trump counters with the military. It will be the situation he's been waiting for to declare Martial Law.
What are the potential penalties, and what methods are available to enforce them?
Why won’t they cooperate? Why didn’t El Salvador allow Sen. Van Hollen to meet and/or speak with Garcia? I fear that Garcia is no longer alive and that puts the US government in a more serious position.
Archive the future We are the future's history and I hope that history is told/taught the truth about him & his MAGA people, the hunting of humans in order to ship them overseas in a twisted updated version of slave trading, & how Congress had the power to stop it, but didn't.
Democracy docket seemed to say that if the Marshalls obey Bondi instead of their sworn duty (likely) then criminal contempt is off the table.
This is truly Alice in Wonderland. Soon Trump will be golfing with flamingos as putters shouting "off with their heads!"
What other case that involves the Trump administration has recently been assigned to Judge Boasberg?
Criminal contempt can be pardoned.
For reference en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_part...
"Our Constitution confers this discretion on the highest officer in the nation in confidence that he will not abuse it." hahaha haha ha we're fucked
A pardon does not exonerate. A pardon is legal forgiveness of the crimes you have committed but you still committed them. It does potentially open the door for expungement. So an impeachment charge can still include said crime and impeachments are explicitly beyond the presidential power of pardon.
To be honest, for impeachment, they might be able to look beyond even an expungement.
The court can use civil contempt.
I don't think civil as opposed to criminal contempt will work without jurisdiction. There's no ongoing case before his court to coerce compliance over.
So even if Trump pardons a criminal contempt conviction, the judge can say: “That’s fine. You’re still in contempt of this court order. You stay in jail until you undo it — like returning those detainees.”
Disbarment can't
Damn
What good is criminal contempt when bondi can just dismiss any charges, or trump can pardon whoever?
There’s a lot of understatement going on here tbh
Unless they start taking away law licenses nothing will happen
With the added bonus that any they testimony they offer during this process will be under penalty of perjury. Hello, disbarment!
Yep
I am so tired of words. Nothing will get done because congress is full of dems playing nice while republicans are either cowards or suckups.
Trump pardons are easy to get.
You can't pardon a disbarring. If they don't want to follow the law, they shouldn't be practicing it.
Start locking them up, starting with the lawyers. Let his minions decide if their law licenses and reputations are the price of their loyalty.
Great in theory, but doomed to fail in practice.
Who’s going to enforce the contempt?
Is there anyone still around to enforce it or has he fired/replaced the whole justice system?
One of the flabbergasting elements is the sheer gratuitousness of it all. All unnecessary, all without a serious point. All the product of whim.
I hope the entire Trump regime gets locked up.
Trump’s White House has shown in every way they intend to defy the District & Appellate courts — and count on SCOTUS’ Alito-Roberts giving them an “out” that essentially validates their lawless snatching & disappearing of people they don’t like.
Where the fuck is the accountability? How about some enforcement for fucking once?
Are these federal contempt charges? If so, can’t they be pardoned?
They won't be laid by his Att'y General
What total fascists is more like it - they believe they are accountable to no one
No one has held them accountable for ANYTHING. So they are correct.
I pray there will be a Nurenberg type hearings at the end of the Trump presidency and all who 'just following orders' are charged with crimes against humanity or such
You are assuming there will be an end.
You know there won’t be. The democrats have time and time again shown they’re weak when confronting corruption amongst the highest ranks, what makes you think they’ll suddenly change tune now? Hell, Thomas has been accepting bribes up the ass and not a peep or demand for any real investigation.
I know! They will do nothing!
Sadly, the only form of "justice" available will probably be the extralegal kind
Its so hard to understand their lack of spine- from here in Australia. However so wonderful to see the great rallies being held by AOC & Sanders. All power to them! And hope this is the beginnings of a powerful movement. From little things big things grow
I hope you are right. There have been many protests in mid-size and smaller cities throughout the US. I've noticed that these protests are only covered by the local media. Also, letter writing and calls to representatives are not news, but they are happening.
I can't imagine us doing much either. In June when we start heading down the same path when/if Dutton gets in, i hope we all stand up quickly
Easier to understand once you realise the US Democratic Party is at the same point on the political spectrum as our Liberal Party. USAnians honestly believe "liberal" means left-leaning/progressive, rather than right-leaning centrist.
I'll laugh my way to the bank if these mfs stand up and act brave after we the people stand up and do all the work. Watch, after it's all said and done, and 🍊&co are in custody, they'll *magically* have no issue throwing the book at them with basically no Republicans left.
Maybe there will be. It's been 3 months of this and Democratic voters are losing patience for centrism. As for Washington politics, the resounding line is "Money talks." It'll be interesting to see what happens to Trump officials, given they're also projected to burn a lot of America's wealth.
I think, at least partly, they inherit such a shitshow from each GOP admin they are primarily concerned with picking up the pieces, putting the country back together & voters rarely give them the votes to go it alone. Garland should’ve appointed a special prosecutor in 2021, but SCOTUS immunity, so🤷♀️
Biden had a chance and he did his stupid fucking SCOTUS Study Group - dude woke up from a 40 year coma, and thought- go idea!
And we were promised a full investigation into Kavanaugh, which we never got.
Could the hearings not come from an international court?
We're not a member of the ICC.
The ICC has not shown any willingness to take on the globalized west historically. The USA also has the American Service-Members’ Protection Act enacted in 2002 which grants the president authority to intervene, militarily, to prevent US personnel from being prosecuted by the ICC.
You can take a guess as to why it was enacted in 2002. Who was the president then and what actions were taken by the republicans then.
Your fingertips to God’s Bluesky feed.
I pray we don't have a Reichstag moment first.
I have designed a poster in support of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. If you would like a print file of it to print out and display in your window or use at a protest (or whatever else), please message me. : )
Great poster for the next march!
I would like to be able to print this out. How can you send the file to me?
Message me on my page and I'll send it to you : )
Oaths are meaningless to the authoritarian-loving "Republican" Party. This is their dream coming true.
His opinion still matters.
They intended to defy the courts from the beginning, but not this early in his term. They needed first to consolidate more power at every level and ensure their loyalists were firmly positioned. #StopFascism #ProtectDemocracy
Here's the thing about authoritarian dictatorships: What do they care about judicial court decisions. Seriously, now. What do they care? Rule by force has a way of superseding the rule of law.
As if the Marshalls will do something about it. I think I'm not kidding when I say if the judges can't handle this, it'll take some very powerful generals to tear this down.
I am hoping for Civil Contempt. Criminal contempt can be pardoned by the president. Civil cannot.
An immigrant will take them all down I love it
I’m fed up of them giving the regime one more chance, one more week. Just damn do it like you would to the rest of us. Now let’s protest our asses off. theblop.org
Do what? Unless the military stages a coup, nothing can be done to stop Trump. SCOTUS is his. Senate is his. He is a dictator. America is now a dictatorship.
No ! They want everyone to feel defeated and degraded and millions of us say fuck that ! We will march, we will strike and with every protest there will be more of us. So speak up and fight for your freedom !
Pretty sure we’ve been doing that. And, it’s had some impact in some places. Just because people believe that nothing will happen, no one goes to jail, doesn’t mean we’ve given up. It means we believe they will not be held accountable. Not that we don’t believe nonviolence is totally ineffective.
Not enough people have protested yet ! Every protest gets bigger but too many have to be directly personally affected before they’ll realize we all already are. We’re on the verge of WW3 FFs. Keep protesting, keep speaking up. Protest from work. youtu.be/lQuvNkqGLCw?...
Yes, most people need to be directly impacted before they understand what they helped happen. I do agree with that.
Marches don’t win wars. Violence wins wars.
youtu.be/EKnoUbDIpjo?...
Unfortunately, this is probably where it's headed. 49% of our fellow Americans will fight for the right to ignore the Constitution. That's exactly how they see this.
*49% of voters, MAGA is not 49% of all Americans
Is it more like 30%? Even so, the 2024 election was very close. Wondering what your theory is - do you think people who didn't turn out then are going to in 2026?
My theory is that a lot of eligible voters didn’t turn out either because they live in states where their votes don’t matter, a lot of voters are disenfranchised by the right, and I believe that the machines are rigged to flip votes to Trump on Election Day.
If you weren’t an anti-MAGA voter, you enabled and supported MAGA.
Concur! ٩( 'ω' )و Takes a min. 3.5-5.3% sustained nonviolent protest to oust an authoritarian regime like this oligarch sponsored christofascist confederacy. 🇺🇸 #WeThePeople have been here many times before! 🪧👹🔱 #April19 the 🌍 is taking it to the streets until we 🛑 this insanity! #MaAA #fvcknazis!!
You can protest from work without anyone knowing. The conscious withdrawal of efficiency ! Two minute video. youtu.be/lQuvNkqGLCw?...
Not yet. But I’d give us an A for effort. 🤢🤮
FGS! Stop saying that. Let some of the positive things happen before concluding anything.
Ok
Hard to believe a convicted felon has such contempt for US laws
Can t***p pardon for federal contempt of court?
Even if a pardon could be issued, the judge can refer all these attorneys to their state bars for violating their duty of candor to the tribunal.
what do we do with the Nazi parasites who have infested our Federal Government? Roll them the fuck out of Washington DC!
Disbarred lawyers may have to actually go get a job!
They need to be charged per diems for not abiding by courts as well as threatened with jail times for non compliance. This is unacceptable that they can think they can defy the law
Yea .. "criminal contempt"! And if they still refuse to act, & as expected DOJ will not cooperate, what then? Seems judges need to start incarcerating Trump lawyers & to make Trump lawyers think twice about doing Trump's illegal bidding, make referrals to Law Bars.
Incarceration, then disappearance.
"And unless they start cooperating very quickly, possibly even if they do, they’re looking at criminal contempt like a freight train." That's the defining sentence. In the end it doesn't matter what they do. #VPTrump is an unreliable negotiator.
Every goddamn last one of them need to be JAILED. Regular citizens would be, after being given ONE chance, not several!!!
Would Bondi prosecute? She hasn't given off anything but a strictly partisan agenda i.e., she's a tool...
Trump will simply pardon the players for any charges of criminal contempt, then go on doing exactly what he's doing.
Unless he decides it’s time to throw Marco under the bus. He already set it up back in March — when asked about the event, he said it was something Rubio was handling…
Perhaps the court can identify a third party, like The Hague, to deport them to….
I hope so.
Sociopathic cosplayers
But is it even enforceable? Like the DOJ isn’t going to enforce it.
There's only one BIG problem with that idea: Trump will pardon anyone who will be held in contempt. like he pardoned the Jan6 terrorists. And then what?
Blondi said today from the podium that they will not bring Albrego Garcia back.
What enforcement agency, which are all controlled by the Executive Branch, do you believe will enforce the contempt judgment arrest warrants? (Not trying to be cute or rhetorical, honestly would like to hear expert opinions on this.)
This is a fight that the felon47 can't win. This misadministration is going to cause a real constitutional crisis. So do the courts deputize members of the national guard to arrest if U.S. marshals won't. Does Congress intervene and impeach and convict🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
And T will use his billion dollars of pro bono work from the law firms he is shaking down to defend his administration views. Sickening circle
They never said they’d be the best lawyers.
The supreme court should reverse their decision on presidential immunity.
Penalty would surely be impeachment?
At what point do you guys arrest people for stuff like this. . . ?
And when (not if) they do not recognize the court's authority, or simply just ignore the ruling, who will go to their homes and arrest them?
I’ve seen many people say that they are willing, able and ready to be deputized to carry out the consequences of a contempt order to this regime, even if it sacrifices their own lives. Those who swore an oath to defend this country r w/in their Con’l rights to do so.
Right they’re just going to be pardoned. Constitution is toast
This is their intention. Try to discredit the judicial system.
Hope all the individuals who have been fired from the US security services are on stand-by. This insurrection is an inside job.
Arrogance and hubris will be their downfall, earned and deserving. May these judges continue to uphold the law and bring justice to those innocents who have been inflicted with such foulness at the dirty hands of this vile administration.
The White House is lead by a classic scammer, he has been doing it most of his life. He lacks empathy, he is deceitful, impulsive, and no regard for the rights of others. He is mentally and emotionally incapable of forming rational decisions. He frequently uses the same buzz words to instill fear.
The tricky issue it’s going to raise is whether or not they are willing or able to enforce any consequences. If there are no consequences, or if they refuse to act at all, then we are fully in a dictatorship!
If Trump was smart, he'd be looking for a way out instead of escalating the matter. He's got plenty of underlings he can throw under the bus, and claim he didn't know what they were doing. But this defiance just opens up more grounds to use against him.
Oh oh… almost like being convicted of 34 felony counts? We KNOW you’re in big trouble then, right!?
What penalty? He has broad immunity. SCOTUS is complicit and courts have no teeth.
Who will enforce the decisions of any judge?
U.S. Marshals?
How do they make Trump do anything?
We’ve had some success in the courts. We won that Supreme Court election in Wisconsin. And we’ve just begun to fight. Follow @democracydocket.com for summaries of the legal challenges being fought against this regime.
I want much more success. Trump ignores the Supreme Court which is powerless to stop him, because of their own self imposed weakness
So do I. We just have to keep hammering away. I think that republicans are beginning to feel the heat from their constituents at these Town Halls. We have to keep fighting.
Trump will claim total responsibility, and then claim total immunity. Thanks John.
Nothing will happen as Trump as Trump believes himself immune.
Are you truly confident that something will come of this? The way they’ve been acting I don’t see it. I don’t see anybody else in the government helping to save this democracy.
Yes, the penalty will be, either by Boasberg or Xinis, or both, the WH attorney present should be charged with criminal contempt of court, handcuffed and put in jail. Then the armed Marshals will show up to get him out and the armed bailiffs will say, not so fast, Fort Sumter here we go.
Cant they take in Holman? Rubio?
But then what? Trump won’t care about what the courts say. Who is then going to stop him.
The courts can deputize their own armed forces to enact their ruling if marshals refuse to comply.
Exactly!!
Trump has total immunity, thank you SCOTUS.
Pardons and un-reviewable immunity … core presidential functions.
Any chance these lawyers can be discharged ?? That’s the only thing that will get there attention. Cause I don’t see them complying.
*Disbarred
Penalty? What’s wrong with jail?
Like Adolf that never did any of his own dirty work. Trump will simply say he did not have anything to do with it. Hardly knew them and let them be the scapegoat.
Then let their illegal subservience to Trump be the hill they (metaphorically) DIE ON. Prison for crimes. It’s what the right always wanted.
Who would enforce the criminal contempt order? The Trump administration won’t do it.
I wonder if Mr. Garcia is even alive now?
Trump will take the blame and claim immunity, and SCOTUS will back him up.
Trump will pardon any criminal acts. What’s the point?
They are asking for what is coming - in all manners possible...
But criminal contempt can be pardoned, can it not?
Oralè Resister 7 Million Tax Payers Money Is paying for this prison CECOT IN EL SALVADOR! #USDemocracy #BringHimHome #BringGarciaBack
Can they get Blondie Bondi on directly lying about Garcia? Gov't document say he has no criminal record and she claims he's a known criminal and terrorist? She can't pretend she doesn't know she's lying. That's EVIL by any measure.
Everyone involved should have to spend a month at CETCO, including Bitch Bondi, Ice Barbie Noem, n lying Leavitt. You can throw these 3 in with the MS13 gang members, but let White Nationalist Dracula S. Miller can go first. They deserve the bowels of hell for their evil.👿
💯👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Do they seriously not understand that they are today's nazis?
Just throwing this into the ring but #KrustiGnome #propagandaBarbie #LeaveitOut
Most of America agrees. I would love to see it, but I’m doubtful it will happen. 😣
🎯
THIS will end at SCOTUS — one way or the other. 😞
It's straight up contempt, and courts cannot abide that most of all. And they seem to have clearer vision on this than Congress.
Elect a criminal, expect criminal acts
But, SO MANY!
Not "lawless liars" who violate their oath to the Constitution.
I've gotten my hopes up infinity before...wake me for the perp walks. 😩
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/15/u...
Trump LIES, a LOT!
Maximum penalty!!!!!!
Perhaps referring them for disbarment from the profession in all jurisdictions would do the trick, as that is something that the President cannot pardon.
Garcias' child will be in college before the contempt issue makes it all the way through whatever process it has s process is.
So what? rump doesn't give a rat's ass. He's ABOVE THE LAW.
What's the betting that they will use this judgement as an extra argument in favour of invoking the Insurrection Act next week?
They are trying to start something…
Absolutely. The judiciary is a key roadblock in the way of the coup. If they are going to succeed they will have to find a way of neutralising the entire judiciary.
I understand the judge can deputize people to carry out hisAmazon's. QUICK! Somebody find a tribe of Amazons.
Sen.Van Hollen, MD, flew to El Salvador today hoping to speak to Kilmar Abrego Garcia. He said Trump is paying the prison $15 million, not $6M, to hold "Trump's prisoners." At the US Embassy Van Hollen learned Trump's administration has made no request for them to obtain Garcia's release.
Nothing will happen. The US is no longer a nation of laws.
I was hoping for a civil ruling, as a criminal charge can be dissolved by the executive.
I'm okay with Kristi Noem and Tom Homan having adjoining cells as long as there's no hanky panky allowed.
He looks like a villain from a Bond movie. Hatefilled toxic bloat.
Aha, Mr. Bond! I see you have noticed my resemblance to my father.
Now 'Toxic Bloat'-- that's a good name for a band
Eewww
Send these f*cks to CECOT!!
Ugh 😩 gross 🤢
Let them go at it through the bars and film it. Yessirr! There'd have to be enough MAGA into that kink to make a million.
US Marshals take an oath to support the Constitution not an attorney general. Her order to defy a judge’s ruling is unconstitutional and need not be obeyed (if the Marshals have the courage). BTW, I’m not a lawyer, not even close.
Glenn Kirschner: What If Trump Violates Court Orders? The Law Says "the US Marshals SHALL Execute" Court Orders! In this video, I discuss the role of the US Marshals Service (USMS) with a retired member of the USMS, Arthur Roderick www.youtube.com/watch?v=usrl...
Don’t pander and tell the truth… the administration is close to creating a constitutional crisis…. In God we trust… not enough to stop our democracy from being destroyed!
But I have a question👋🏼 When the SCOTUS issued its ruling about Presidential immunity to pretty much everything, didn’t it say something about criminal activity outside presidential duties? Is defying the court outside a presidential duty? Isn’t there a way to get him for this? Or use in impeachment?
I would say yes but as Congress and SCOTUS are majority t®ump #sycophants, I'd say #impeachment and any other removal effort is impossible. #Impeach47 #EndTrumpism #ImpeachVance
You spelled "fucking fascists" wrong. You wrote "jerks".
Lock them up. All of them.
DRUMPF CAN PARDON HIS MINIONS TO continue more criminality. And SCOTUS made Drumpf IMMUNE! IMMUNE ! IMMUNE! All rigged for fascism . Putin loving every minute
Will Trump not just pardon them?
maybe, but make her life hell in the mean time
MAYBE. However, this is uncharted territory. This has never happened before, so this will be the first time it’s tested. However, considering the reckoning that SCOTUS is having to deal with because of their immunity decision, they may decide that he can’t pardon them as a compromise in hopes-
that will be sufficient to get him to obey the courts so they don’t have to walk back their presidential immunity ruling. Everything is being played by ear rn basically. That’s why we need to start showing up and protesting at the republican SCOTUS’s homes and courthouses to put pressure on them.
He may. But all that can be done is to play the moves and force the other side to play theirs.
Not tricky. Just throw their contemptable asses in jail!
Contempt?? He’ll claim his immunity- nothing will be done
Penalties is when an attorney enters the court room and doesn’t provide the answers to the previous questions, he is escorted to jail for 90 days. Then let’s see what answers are provided by the next attorney.
…elect a criminal
Find them in contempt!
Is there anyone who can actually impose a penalty that anything more than words? It seems like between Bondi and the SCOTUS, Trump can do anything he desires
Frankly, the PEOPLE who inherently empower the Constitution.
Specifically, HOW?
We already know Trump is a criminal. A convicted criminal, 34 times over. If SCOTUS can say Trump is immune from prosecution and we listen to them, then we should listen to them when they say Arbegio should be returned. I think they murdered him.
Well, John Mitchell went to prison for the Watergate coverup.
I just hope they keep screwing up to where the judge finally throws their asses in jail until all, every single one of those men, are returned to be given due process that they were denied. Unless all are returned, the Trump regime is going to get away with mass murder and you have to know it.
Lock them up and let them risk being shanked in prison. I'd be fine with that.
Yeah but who would actually be arrested or disbarred? Or even more so, what if they just ignore that too?? Dick Cheney was in contempt of congress as a vice president and neoliberals ever since have NEVER held the right to account, soooo here we are! If anything they moved further right! Times up!
Start putting his legal staff into jail. Start disbarring them. The courts need to start making examples of them.
I don't think judges/courts can disbar? I think that has to come from the state Bar Association. They might be able to ban a particular lawyer from their courtroom.
No, judges cannot. Only attorneys. Judges are either appointed or elected, so they would need to be impeached or voted out if they face elections every 'n' years.
Pam Bondi has no business keeping her barr license.
Agreed!
She doesn’t need a law license to be AG.
...this seems like a terrible oversight, like only having two qualifications to run for president.
My wife was asking me about that today, and there are literally no qualifications other than age and citizenship to hold this office. The founders really left a LOT of holes in our form of government. Parliamentary democracies seem so much better now that we're here.
We are in such uncharted territory. None of his cabinet have any expertise in anything.
A very good video on what is about to happen. Also, support Democracy Docket monetarily if possible - they are in court every day for EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US! We give $50.00/month, but even if you can give $1.00/month, it'll help. youtu.be/5HRmolBoM_k?...
And then what? He pardons them? Congress needs to act to remove that power, AND SCOTUS needs to reassess whether a sitting president can be brought up on charges.
No, he cannot pardon someone of a contempt of court because that is not a federal felony. It’s an action of the court to hold accountable illegal actions within the court
It doesn't have to be a felony, just a federal crime. And courts have held that criminal contempt is also pardonable. constitution.findlaw.com/article2/pre...
From my law school text book: Supreme Court held that the president could pardon a person jailed for criminal contempt of court. It noted, however, that had the charges been for civil contempt, an appeal to the president’s pardoning power would have been unavailing It would probably be appealed up
This is correct information. And what Judge Boasberg is threatening is criminal contempt.
I haven’t read that he has defined the type of contempt he is proposing.
From his opinion: "As this Opinion will detail, the Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt."
What is really scary is that the courts really don’t have any power. Something the founders never thought would be necessary.
That is my fear as well. I never thought it would get to this point, but then I never dreamed of any of what is happening. We need to find hope in doing the best we can to do right by our country.
Yep, you’re right. Page #1. If he does do that, they will appeal and watch the fireworks!
That’s not a federal crime. It’s a court imposed penalty
Absolutely can pardon any federal crime including contempt. The pardon power is not limited to felonies. It cannot reach civil contempt, however, so Boasberg should proceed in the alternative. Pardons would deprive the court of any remaining jurisdiction if only proceeding in criminal contempt.
I misspoke “felony”. Should have said criminal vs. civil.
No worries! We are on the same side here, and it behooves all of us (myself included) to ensure the information being shared is legally accurate.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm constantly correcting people that post untruths, their wishes as fact, or inaccurate comments (especially on technology and aviation). Lots of people post inaccuracies, and we need to keep up with keeping things 'real'.
Appreciate the correction.
There is criminal contempt and civil contempt. One is personable, this is the other one: civil.
Correct. I quoted one of my text books on a prev reply: “The Supreme Court held that the president could pardon a person jailed for criminal contempt of court. It noted, however, that had the charges been for civil contempt, an appeal to the president’s pardoning power would have been unavailing”
Judge Boasberg has, thus far, framed the matter as criminal. He wrote that he was considering a criminal referral and even appointment of a special prosecutor. I am suggesting that he should reserve a civil remedy as an alternative to preserve jurisdiction in case of pardons.
Yes, read that on page one of his document.
I was responding to busybee, above. I’m confident we are on the same page.
Gotcha. We are. Thanks for clarifying. 👍
I agree with you. I thought that is what was being done. Frankly, until I see real action, I am not convinced this is not a salve for the anger of the nation.
I’m convinced Boasberg is principled and pissed. I’m not sure it is possible to crafted an effective contempt remedy. Mass impeachments may be the only way out.
If judges keep issuing contempt charges every single time something like this happens, then the bar associations may start revoke licenses. Just gotta keep doing it and not giving up.
I agree. I think it’s most unfortunate that he is choosing criminal contempt.
I’d like him to proceed in the alternative. I think proceeding criminally presses his hand to issue pardons, which strengthens a later impeachment action.
Ah. I hadn’t thought of that. I’d rather see him do whatever is possible to get the so-called officials to fear the law in the short term; any pardonable conviction may just serve to strengthen both their sense of untouchability and their bond with Trump.
Well, maybe the judge could fly the lawyers off to the most vicious prison in a foreign country and return them when the admin returns the prisoners in El Salvador? The art of the deal, right?
They won’t be able to imprison Trump but they can do it to Stephen Miller.
He will pardon them
Accepting a pardon means an admission of guilt.
Then include him in the indictment ? Just try pardoning yourself Drumpf and see all hell break loose. Maybe that’s what we need to wake everybody the F*** up
He’s done about 50 things since returning to the Oval Office that would have gotten any other president in history impeached and jailed Congress is worthless just like the Supreme Court
Lawyers are always the last to be surprised when Trump beats the crap out of them in court. Like every time.
Criminal contempt depends on the Marshals Service to execute. Civil contempt can deputize anyone...
So how is he going to enforce this or anything else? I don't think this Regime is going to cooperate. They haven't yet.
Can't rely on the US to penalize, but ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnits...
Given how EXTREMELY PERTINENT. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/if-t...
Please help me understand what exactly the Judiciary can do post finding criminal contempt. What specific actions can they take? I mean real actions that will mean something.
AG would be a good target! She likes to talk loudly!
They are setting themselves up to be an expressly and demonstrably lawless Regime. Info strained by any Judicial checks. Fun fact,even his own constituents hate that concept. Deep down even Republicans have a respect for the law. MAGA not so much, but they are totally lost and lawless by definition
Info strained = Unconstrained. Edit button please.
Info strained is how I feel we could describe today's media
I didn’t think of it that way, you are correct.
And i agree that Bluesky needs ability to edit our comments! Oy! Autocorrect and phone screens 🙄
Oh, Harry, I can’t wait for this to play out… I’m tired of lawyers shilling for Trump. If a few of these boyos lose their careers - they could have just resigned - maybe others will learn something.
They can't touch trump...SCOTUS gave him immunity for official acts. Are they going to lock up Rubio? US Marshals won't mobilize...Trump will tell them to stand down. The Judge will have to deputize someone to do it. THAT is going to be a very, very tricky issue.
How bout we just lock some of em up to start
But won't hair furor just pardon them?
And then how about Manslaughter charges for everyone involved in the deportation 👍👍
Jail time is necessary - other penalties are wrist-slaps. Jail time for as high as you can get in the bureaucratic chain.
Bring. It. On. The bigger the freight train, the better.
But who pays the price?
lol 😂 when twenty weeks from now? It’s time to get real covers have no one to enforce their orders Bondi Fed Marshals lol 😂
Criminal contempt is just a fine, correct? Why would he care about a fine? His supporters are paying for everything for him
My take. It's beyond time
Judge Boasberg set that 💩 on 🔥.
But Donald will pardon them. He could literally have the judge sent to the gulag in El Salvador or killed and he would be immune from criminal prosecution and could pardon the killer.
Tell me if I’m wrong but Pumkinhead also has power over the federal marshals. I hope I’m wrong.
Bondi does
Isn't #POTUS47 a rapist, pedophile and terrorist as well as a sex trafficker, human trafficker and felon? #Impeach47 #TheClownThatWouldBeKing #KingMidasInReverse #JailTrump #ImpeachVance #ImpeachJohnson #EndTrumpism #EndTrumpCult #EndTrumpCoup #JailStephenMiller #JailHegseth #JailNoem #DeportMusk
At the same time👆🏼
Photo evidence was used during the Nazi trials in The Hague
That has a strong mormon vibe.
This is truly straight out of the Twilight Zone.
It was all preplanned….Project 1025 mass destruction media and then removal…America is committing GENOCIDE….. Step one:All English lang 2 jail anti Christian 3 control universities 4 control judicial Just like Victoria Orban
Nothing like a quick wikipedia dive to start the morning, everyone should give this a look at least once. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project...
And it’s GLOBAL….. 🚨🚨🚨👇🏼👇🏼 ALL ROADS LEAD TO CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM Donald Trump did not destroy the Republican Party. The Council for National Policy did. deprogramamerica.com/cnp/
#Project2025 Genocide SO CALLED REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS ARE ASSAULTING THE VERY SOUL OF AMERICA‼️ It was in the manual….. Exposing Project 2025’s Day One Plans to Target Immigrants, Expand Executive Power democracyforward.org/the-peoples-...
Goodie!
Well, since it is obvious that Boasberg knows and understands the law, he should be expected to follow it.
Who thinks there will be real, enforceable consequences? Anyone? Anyone?
They’re not jerks they’re domestic terrorists. Let’s call it what it is and stop soft balling them after a F*CKING decade. Step up.
Yes! For fucks sake. Thank you.
Call your Congress member and your Senators. The Republicans have the majority so there needs to be Republicans willing to act. Call daily.
Five calls on every device and I am sure my Senator is asleep at the wheel and her whole office hates me by now but I can't care. LFG!
Trump is immune from everything, thanks to the Supreme Court! 🤬
Trump may be, but his flunkies -- all the way up to Vance -- are not. Throw a bunch of them in jail and see how fast the sandcastle crumbles.
And how fast Trump pardons them. 🤷♀️
Does the pardon power apply to criminal contempt of court? I honestly don’t know, it’s possible that it doesn’t though.
Only if it’s in the federal level.
I see, but if a federal judge holds somebody in contempt, the president can pardon?
I think so, but I’m not sure.
I think even that would be worth the effort - collaborationist attorneys probably won’t especially want a reputation as such anymore after trump is gone
Last time I researched the issue, seemed pretty clear the president could pardon criminal contempt from a federal district court. I do not know if each day’s failure could be considered a new predicate act, subject to a new order of contempt and requiring a new pardon. A human centipede of contempt
In any case, we should continue the prosecutions and force them to use their pardon powers corruptly out in the open, as opposed to just throwing up our hands.
They will be pardoned before anything happens. I expect it will happen within the month.
He’s not actually immune from all his actions. The SCOTUS gave itself power to decide on issues that are in gray area
Bad enough
I fear that immediately after identifying the contemnors, Trump will pardon them
Attorneys can be sanctioned by courts and be made unwelcome in others regardless of criminality. Hit the attorneys hard enough and others won't want to play around in the courts.
Of course he will.
He could pardon criminal contempt as it’s considered a crime, he could not pardon civil contempt, and from my *extremely limited understanding,* I believe he could recommend criminal contempt charges to be brought, but civil contempt used to encourage compliance
So even if Trump pardons a criminal contempt conviction, the judge can say: “That’s fine. You’re still in contempt of this court order. You stay in jail until you undo it — like returning those detainees.” There’s no escaping this.
He’s exempt from any prosecution.
We’re not talking about Trump, we’re talking about the officials who refused the judges order. Someone refused it and will be held in contempt.
2/2 last i heard, they helped facilitate DOGE right out the gate with accessing the treasury department. I don't have faith they will comply against DOJ itself. It's a good question to ask who will enforce.
1/2 I'm afraid they will just sacrifice the doj lawyers and such like they are doing with signal gate and one doj lawyer already that got fired but never actually bring him home. But if they don't that is still contempt correct? The Marshall service is the only branch capable of enforcing arrest
I don't think you've grasped your new reality yet.
The fact the judge is moving to contempt charges means we are still ok.
We'll be ok if there is actual accountability or the detainees come home for trials and Boasberg is not removed from the bench before any of that. We can't do an endzone dance yet. We're still in extreme danger here.
We really are.
They must be returned, non compliance can lead to jail for the official who refuses to do so under civil contempt. The order stands even if judge is removed.
The key point here is who runs the jails...?
… and the DoJ? Enforcement is where the rubber meets the road.
If he orders them jailed and they refuse he can jail the DoJ officials who refuse until they follow his order. There’s no escaping
What Pam Bondi is going to put herself in jail? Good luck with that.
The judge can appoint outside prosecutors
Well, they have to be given due process. Boasburg specifically said that could be done even if they remain in 3 El Salvador.
NO he said to return them mid flight. That’s the order they ignored.
Okay, I thought you were talking about today—he offered the option of providing due process to each individual, even if they were not returned.
Au contraire - Pam Bondi can order federal Marshalls, contra the judge, to "not" put these people in jail.
Yes, Trump would pardon them, and they won’t face any jail time. But it would make them unequivocally and visibly break the law, and *force* Trump to pardon them. Damn good talking points for Dems. to publicly condemn their actions (plus support impeachment) and force Repubs. to publicly condone.
And I wonder if it would impact their status with the American Bar Assoc.
Agree ... it is good for the law to call out the truth. But in some ways it makes it seem even more ineffectual.
If he is referring the matter back to DOJ for prosecution then no pardons are needed. At least not until Trump is leaving power. Until then Trump isn't giving up leverage over anyone.
If the DOJ refuses to prosecute the judge must appoint a prosecutor. Read Rule 42 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
A rule which will likely be deemed unconstitutional by the current SCOTUS.
Some good commentary on rule 42. www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-143-...
Are the good guys coming? He needs to be removed.
They will have to go with civil contempt as the president, thanks to Roberts, is immune to any direct federal charges. Civil charges can get to them. But they are limited in what they can do to him.
Only if Trump formally attests in court that he personally ordered a knowing violation of the court order. If he actually does that, or pardons whoever did, that risks a huge problem with public opinion before they're ready for it.
I don't think there is any way for the courts to compel trump to enter their jurisdiction. The Marshals answer to him. And while the Judges can call for a possie that would turn into a fight with the Secret Service. All the judge can really do is keep stacking the fines.
None of that matters. Trump can't be criminally prosecuted, and he can pardon anyone who can be. End of legal contest. But if he does that, it's "smoking gun" evidence of tyranny, and that has consequences outside the courts.
In the case of a billionaire all the Civil Contempt charge can do is shame trump. But he doesn't really have any shame. So its mostly performative for our side to try it. But its doing something so I will stick it in our quiver of things we can throw at him.
bsky.app/profile/joyc...
How many more smoking guns is it going to take?
There's currently no smoking gun with regards to Trump violating court orders. Everything now requires paying attention and understanding context. This would not.
We're referring to smoking guns pointing to tyranny not violated court orders
Again, everything else requires understanding context. Putting multiple things together to understand the whole picture. This would not.
Remember, most Americans are not plugged into the news and aren't all that interested in finding out. If it doesn't fit in a headline, it doesn't reach them.
Personally, I think Trump will probably let someone sit in prison for a bit as a bit of showmanship to support the lie that he's following the law, giving them another month or two to consolidate authoritarian power before the public blows up.
I don't think the GOP/MAGA has a bottom when it comes to issues of morality, ethics, or humanity. But when it comes to serving their corporate masters they will turn on trump when their funding starts getting pulled.
Could be he is going to charge someone in DOJ which could be criminal. No use to charge immune Trump.
Its also problematic charging one of his cronies as he has proven to use the Pardon as a tool to enable his excess.
Yes. I can see him doing that.
Well, even then it marks them with corruption, I pray that if we end up with another democracy that we're wise enough to remove pardons as a whole, even the thanksgiving turkeys. Clearly it's just become a means to dispense favors.
They can and should still lock up Bondi and the other attorneys involved even if they can’t get trump
I mean it’s not like trump is doing all this stuff personally himself, if you make the attorneys and ICE cops and so on that do his bidding afraid of going to jail, that still has a quite strong deterrent effect
The real threat to trump is that his power comes from sitting atop a large system that can be impacted by the Judiciary. They can order functions within the govt to be returned to a state of where they were before trump broke them. Because of trump's pardon they can't even convict his cronies.
We should lock him up too but no reason to hold up locking everybody else up just because we can’t get him yet
The military needs to uphold their oath to the Constitution.
I fear that it will come down to what the military is willing to do. Trump has been replacing competant military leaders with unqualified sycophants for a reason.
