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Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Issues Public Reprimand for Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts issued a public reprimand for District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph regarding her role in the 2018 escape of an illegal immigrant. The ruling concludes a legal process that began when Jose Medina-Perez, a Dominican national, evaded arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents by exiting through a rear courthouse door while the judge was presiding over his arraignment. While federal prosecutors initially brought obstruction of justice charges against Joseph, the state's high court determined she did not explicitly or implicitly approve the escape plan devised by the defendant's attorney. The court found that Joseph created an appearance of impropriety by proposing to detain the man overnight and by instructing the clerk to turn off the courtroom's audio recording system during a sidebar. The reprimand follows a 2022 agreement where Joseph agreed to face a state judicial misconduct investigation instead of federal charges. Joseph currently serves as a judge in the Boston Municipal Court.

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