Judge Dismisses Misconduct Allegation Against US District Court Judge
A federal appeals court judge has dismissed a misconduct allegation against U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, who previously opposed the Trump administration’s deportation actions to a controversial El Salvador prison. The complaint, lodged by the Justice Department, was dismissed by Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on December 19, but the decision only became public this weekend.
The complaint arose from claims that Judge Boasberg, during a March 2025 judicial conference, warned Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges that the administration could cause a constitutional crisis by ignoring federal court orders. This meeting occurred shortly before Boasberg halted deportation flights executed by President Trump using 18th-century wartime powers.
In his dismissal, Judge Sutton noted the absence of evidence supporting the allegations, as the Justice Department failed to provide an attached document proving Boasberg’s alleged remarks or their context. Sutton stated, “A recycling of unadorned allegations with no reference to a source does not corroborate them. And a repetition of uncorroborated statements rarely supplies a basis for a valid misconduct complaint.” Sutton was appointed by President George W. Bush to the appeals court serving Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
The Justice Department and Boasberg’s court did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Sutton added that even if the comments were made, they would not significantly deviate from typical discussion topics at such gatherings and would not breach ethical standards. He also referenced Chief Justice Roberts’ 2024 year-end report, which highlighted threats to judicial independence, judges’ security, and respect for court orders historically.
The misconduct complaint was initially filed with Judge Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. However, due to ongoing appeals related to the deportation case, Srinivasan requested the complaint’s transfer to another circuit, leading to Chief Justice Roberts moving it to the 6th Circuit.
