Newton Judge Accused Of Helping Man Evade ICE Edges Toward Trial

NEWTON, MA — The case against a Newton judge accused of helping a man who was living in the U.S. illegally sneak out of her courthouse to evade an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is set to move toward trial, a federal judge ruled Monday.

The Associated Press reported U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin rejected both Newton District Court Judge Shelley Joseph and court officer Wesley MacGregor’s efforts to dismiss the obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges against them.

According to the AP, there is no trial date as of yet.

Joseph and MacGregor were charged with helping an undocumented man escape from Newton District Court on April 2, 2018. According to court documents, Joseph knew an ICE officer was waiting outside in the lobby to detain the man, who was facing drug charges. The man had been deported twice and was barred from entering the U.S. until 2027, prosecutors said later.

Later that afternoon, the audio recording captured Joseph, the defense attorney and the ADA speaking about the defendant and the ICE detainer. According to court documents, Joseph then ordered the courtroom clerk to turn off the audio recorder, which is a violation of District Court rules. The audio was off for just under a minute.

Also according to court documents, when the defense attorney asked to speak with the man — Jose Medina-Perez — downstairs, Joseph agreed, and directed MacGregor to escort the attorney and an interpreter to the lockup. MacGregor used his security access card to open the rear door and let Medina-Perez go at 3:01 p.m. Immigration officials caught the man about a month later.

The investigation and suspension of the judge and court officer made national headlines and became a test case in the immigration debate when she was indicted for obstruction of justice for her role. Both Joseph and MacGregor pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Joseph's attorneys declined to comment for this article.

RELATED:

• Newton Judge Helped Man Escape ICE: Feds
• Newton Judge's Indictment In Deportation Case 'Chilling': AG
• Newton Judge Under Investigation: Did She Help Someone Evade ICE?
• Newton Judge Accused Of Helping Man Evade ICE To Get Pay Restored

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).