Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court reprimands Judge Shelley Joseph

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has issued a public reprimand against District Court Judge Shelley Joseph. The ruling follows allegations that Joseph enabled an immigrant to escape U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in 2018.

The incident involved accusations that Joseph colluded with the individual’s attorney and a court officer to allow the person to exit through a back door of the courthouse following a hearing on charges including drug possession. The court concluded that Joseph’s actions, which included instructing a clerk to disable the courtroom audio recording system, created an appearance of impropriety and constituted a failure to comply with the law.

Joseph’s attorney, Elizabeth Mulvey, stated that the case had been distorted over time and characterized the situation as a baseless prosecution. Mulvey noted that the judge had faced significant public scrutiny, with opinions ranging from calls for imprisonment to labeling her a ‘folk hero.’