Boston Judge Faces Misconduct Hearing Over 2018 Court Incident Involving Undocumented Immigrant

A Massachusetts judge is currently facing a formal misconduct hearing over a 2018 incident in which she allegedly allowed an undocumented immigrant to avoid detention by federal immigration authorities.

Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph is being reviewed by the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct following claims that she allowed a defendant, Jose Medina-Perez—a Dominican national with a prior deportation history—to exit Newton District Court through a rear door, bypassing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was waiting to take him into custody.

At the time, Medina-Perez was appearing in court on drug possession charges and a fugitive warrant from Pennsylvania. According to court documents, the ICE officer was informed to wait in the courthouse lobby for a possible arrest.

During the proceedings, it was reported that Judge Joseph asked for the court audio recorder to be turned off for approximately 52 seconds, after which she announced the defendant would be released. Prosecutors allege that the defendant was then escorted by a court officer and his legal team to the courthouse’s lower level, where he exited undetected through a secure rear door.

Joseph’s attorney emphasized during the current hearing that the judge has not been convicted of any crime and that much of the public discussion around the case has relied on speculation rather than fact.

The misconduct hearing is taking place at the Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, presided over by Judge Denis McInerney, who will submit findings and recommendations at its conclusion.

Previously, criminal charges against Judge Joseph were dropped after she voluntarily submitted to the judicial conduct commission and acknowledged certain facts related to the case. Nevertheless, the commission has filed formal allegations of “willful judicial misconduct” and actions “prejudicial to the administration of justice.”

In related cases, other judges in different states have also faced scrutiny and legal action for their alleged roles in incidents involving undocumented individuals and efforts to avoid federal custody.