ACLU pushes to revive criminal contempt proceedings against Trump officialsIn an exclusive interview, ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt tells All Rise News further appeal is necessary because a lack of consequences for defying judges is "dangerous."Written by Adam Klasfeld. For more legal reporting from Adam, follow All Rise News on Substack by clicking here
The Trump administration may not be in the clear yet for ignoring Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s March 15 order to turn around flights carrying more than 200 men to El Salvador. Late on Thursday evening, the American Civil Liberties Union filed an en banc appeal asking the D.C. Circuit’s full bench to reconsider a ruling that overturned Judge Boasberg’s finding of probable cause for criminal contempt. In an exclusive interview with All Rise News, the ACLU’s attorney Lee Gelernt laid out the stakes of the pending appeal: whether the government feels empowered to violate court orders. “If that happens and the judiciary doesn't put its foot down, I think that changes the dynamic between the branches and really puts us on dangerous ground,” Gelernt warned. Editor’s Note: It is an honor to be able to share Adam Klasfeld’s fearless reporting with you on the Meidas+ Substack. Subscribe to All Rise News on Substack for more for accountability journalism from Adam that takes you inside the courtroom.
“Very dangerous territory”In April, Boasberg found probable cause that Trump officials wilfully violated his order to return flights carrying hundreds of men to El Salvador. Stopping short of a formal finding of contempt, Boasberg initiated a fact-finding process to determine what officials flouted his order, which could lead to criminal referrals. Four months would pass before the D.C. Circuit adjudicated the government’s appeal of that order. During that period, former Justice Department lawyer Erez Reuveni filed a whistle-blower complaint providing evidence of willful disobedience to Judge Boasberg’s order. In a memorable passage, Reuveni said that then-senior Justice Department official Emil Bove instructed prosecutors in a private meeting to be willing to tell the courts “f*** you.” Senate Republicans refused to act on Reuveni’s complaint before confirming Bove for a lifetime appointment as a federal appellate court judge, and the D.C. Circuit’s slow-walking of the appeal prevented a judicial reckoning until that time. “I think we're in a very dangerous territory because ultimately the system depends on both branches complying with court orders,” Gelernt said. On Aug. 8, two Trump-appointed judges on the D.C. Circuit’s three-judge panel relieved the government of any consequences for ignoring Boasberg’s order. Those judges, Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, vacated the probable-cause order for different reasons. Dissenting Judge Cornelia Pillard, an Obama appointee, said that her colleagues did Boasberg a “grave disservice.” The ACLU’s petition asks the D.C. Circuit to rehear the case in front of all of the court’s 11 active judges. “It is hard to imagine a more direct blow to the authority of the federal courts than undermining their ability to enforce their orders,” the en banc petition states. “Here, the panel’s ruling is even more dangerous because it undermines the district court’s authority even to inquire into possible willful disobedience of its order—a step well short of pursuing any particular remedy, much less a criminal referral.” “Real disrespect”A judge’s findings of probable cause for criminal contempt are not usually appealable, but Katsas and Rao accepted the Trump administration’s argument for emergency intervention through a writ of mandamus, which has a heightened standard for redressing a clear and indisputable error. The ACLU’s petition says that the limited nature of Boasberg’s order makes Katsas and Rao’s decisions more unsupportable. “Although Judges Katsas and Rao had distinct reasons for believing the district court erred, both opinions had the same throughline: that the district court should not even inquire into the facts as to criminal contempt,” Gelernt wrote. “If accepted, that view would have dire consequences for the Judiciary’s ability to enforce its orders.” Trump and his Justice Department has sought to discredit Boasberg both in and outside of court, filing a misconduct complaint against the judge and attacking him in public statements. “I've been practicing doing this civil rights work for more than three decades now,” Gelernt said. “I don't think I've ever seen anything like what's going on in this case with Chief Judge Boasberg. I think in court and in their filings, sort of real disrespect for him and the judiciary, like nothing I've ever seen before.” In now-public text messages, whistle-blower Reuveni spoofed the Trump administration’s disrespect for Boasberg by proposing submitting “an emoji of a middle finger as our filing” to the court.
“A picayune middle finger,” Reuveni added, a clear reference to an official Justice Department statement describing Boasberg’s order as a “picayune dispute over the micromanagement of immaterial fact finding." Gelernt said that the attacks on Boasberg have been unrelenting, including Trump and his Capitol Hill allies agitating for the judge’s impeachment. “You've seen now other judges come out and say, ‘Look, you may disagree with his opinions, but this is not proper to single out the individual judges or the judiciary for this kind of attack.” Gelernt said. “This is a dangerous thing for our country, and you can appeal cases. You can disagree with them, but for going after a judge individually: It is something that I have never seen.” Read the ACLU’s petition for a rehearing here. For more from Adam Klasfeld, subscribe to All Rise News here.
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COMMENTS:
Thank you for sharing this information.
After a decade spent largely in hell, hopeful news matters. As does a clearer understanding of any issue.
All of the laws, judgements, congressional demands, and Articles of the Constitution, are just words on paper, unless someone grows the spine and balls to enforce it.
Until someone does, the Fascists just entrench themselves deeper.
Fascists have never been voted out in history. This will be no different, and America is 20 dead canaries dead in that coal mine, while people are still trying to figure out if that is what is happening.
It seems that enforcing the law has suddenly become “challenging” since the POTUS is a convicted felon with his thumb firmly planted on everything that interferes with his personal agenda, and SCOTUS has given him a rubber stamp and immunity.
12 million citizens in the streets to protest and oppose the fascist regime is what is needed.
5 million for NO KINGS is a good start. Researchers and observers are worried that people will just go along with this.........The courts are holding the line.........The people need to shut down the computer and make signs...........or lose it all.
Judges need stop to pretending this is business as normal. They either need to send in any US Marshall who are still loyal to America to arrest the lawless traitors or step down themselves. Risk of another civil war be damned.
We are most of the way through the title of the suit. We have it as to the “criminal” and I can guarantee he is both full of “contempt” and receives “contempt” from the majority.
Dear Adam, could not agree more with Mr Lee Gelernt.
Moreover, I think the ACLU should take the lead in what I sent to Ben an ~ 1 ago.
To wit:
"Ben, let's focus on the following -- TRUMP IS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST.
Let's have EVERY Governor of a Democratic Party Controlled State, ENFORCE their STATE'S Anti-Terrorism Laws - COMPREHENSIVELY.
Indict, issue arrest warrants, prosecute, convict -- not just him but ANY PERSON who follows his ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, and EVIL Orders.
SCOTUS is NOT AN IMPEDIMENT & now is the perfect time to PROVE THEIR IMPOTENCE, AS WELL AS COMPLICIT ENABLEMENT of TRUMP's TERRORISM.
No EXCUSES.
Forget Nov 2026 being an Election if we don't END TRUMP's REIGN of TERROR, NOW."
Thank you!
Personal attacks is what trump does. He’s a school yard bully. Bondi is a criminal and needs to be investigated and prosecuted. Bove is the one who needs to be impeached.
I hope the motion for en banc is granted.
Well wake me up if the supremes decide to start requiring the emperor to obey court orders.
Yep, apparently enforcing the law is no longer a top priority, particularly since the POTUS is a convicted felon with his thumb firmly planted on everything that interferes with his personal agenda. And SCOTUS has given him a rubber stamp and immunity.
Thank you for taking the time to share this. After all you’ve been through, I can only imagine how much hope and truth must matter. Your words carry quiet strength, and I’m glad this post offered even a small moment of clarity or light Here’s to more of both, for all of us
Donate to the ACLU, please. I do.
I've been donating to the ACLU for many months and have increased the amount also. I know how important their work is to my future and to the future of all other Americans.
Definitely donate and I do also!
Thank you for taking the time to share this. After all you’ve been through, I can only imagine how much hope and truth must matter. Your words carry quiet strength, and I’m glad this post offered even a small moment of clarity or light Here’s to more of both, for all of us
The Government is not following the laws and should be he'd accountable. Emil Bove is horrendous and has no business in Government. Hope the contempt case makes it through and Supreme Court does not rule since the majority there is crooked.
Take out all the stops. Leave no quarter. The ACLU should not yield an inch on this. My monthly contributions won't cover it, but they'll surely help . . .
Everything they have done is criminal and unconstitutional!!! Yet it continues!!! Unbelievable!!!
Those two judges on the DC circuit panel should be ashamed of themselves. They better hope and pray that they don’t ever end up on the receiving end of such vitriol in hatred being spewed at them because they will deserve the same treatment they’re giving Judge Boasburg.
ALOHA ... ON THE COCONUT WIRELESS... GOP. guardians of pedophilics... THAT'S ALL FULL STOP..GOP. guardians of pedophilics... .. GOP. guardians of pedophilics......
Own up, America ! Your Hitler wannabe made no secret that a return to the White House would be his "retribution tour" and in your stultifying stupidity you STILL voted for him. NOW SUFFER THE INCREASINGLY DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES !!!
Exactly! Now this was utterly unbelievable!
Red States want a civil war........okay....first cut off all their blue state funding.......then let the games begin.
Send a donation to ACLU!
They are doing all the work and we need to show our support!
They never give in or up!
I support the ACLU! We all should! They are fighting hard against this rogue felon regime!
Cheeto and Peter Thiel And Their Disciple Just Dance Vance: Get To Know Them Well
Like Cheeto and Muskrat, Thiel is just another rich narcissist emboldened by his wealth who cares little about others in a society(Nazi thinking of the superior German race) Described as a conservative libertarian(ie a rich individualist who dislikes government)his past with his friend Curtis Yarvin(Americans should get over their dictatorphobia) has white supremacist views, that Thiel has echoed in the past. Yarvin also argues that slavery is a good thing, and why the hell deny "supporting" slavery, he also says that certain races are "more suited to being a slave" This also expresses the eugenics theory(need to get rid of the weaker in the gene pool) to which JFK Jr espouses
Thiel and Cheeto have both said they don’t believe in democracy, and that freedom and capitalism can’t exist together In 2009, Thiel wrote an essay, where he declared "I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible Since 1920, the vast increase in welfare beneficiaries and the extension of the franchise to women—two constituencies that are notoriously tough for libertarians—have rendered the notion of 'capitalist democracy' into an oxymoron."
Something badly happens to people’s mental functioning when they become ultrawealthy mirrored in the evil political oligarchy of Cheeto, Muskrat, Thiel, Zuckerberg, Bezos, and JFK Jr Due to people always asking them for money or favors they begin to see others in a subservient way, a form of neo-feudalism where they become the monarchs and everybody else are their subjects And now this narcissistic group wants to destroy the republic and make it into their own image that has little to do with WE the People which is why governments exist and everything to do with power
After watching how to deal with narcissists on YouTube, I learned that the best way to crush Trump is to tell him that neither his lies nor anything else he does impresses anyone any more. That thought will let all of the air out of the ego of any narcissist. It destroys their self confidence.
🏚️🏠🏚️🏡🏚️🏚️🏬🏚️🏡🏠🏚️🏠🏚️🏠🏠🏠🏚️
TWO NATIONAL PROTESTS IN 2 DAYS
🏡🏚️🏠🏚️🏡🏠🏠🏠🏡🏚️🏚️🏡🏠🏚️🏡🏘️🏚️
🏚️🏡🌵 Monday September 1st 2025 🌲🏠🏚️
🏘️🏠🏠🏠🏚️🏡🏚️🏘️🏠🏠🏡🏘️🏚️🏚️🏠🏚️🏚️
Workers over Billionaires
organized by MayDay/50501
⚙️⚙️🔨🔧⚒️🔧🔨⚙️⚙️🔨🔧⚒️🔧🔨⚙️⚙️
Workers Labor Day 2025
organized by AFL CIO
JOIN THE DEMOCRACY TRAIN.
The AFL CIO protest has a slight slant towards worker's rights, while the MayDay protest leans more into civilian rights. Each speaks out against the Trump Regime.
Both have marches and rallies, while the AFL CIO is also hosting picnics and parades. They each share some of the same local events. Why not attend both?
🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻
🍃Barry Gander
🍃"Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is a billionaire and his old firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, is buying up tariff refund rights upfront for 20-30 cents on the dollar."
🍃"The Chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald is Howard Lutnick."
🍃"Clearly, Lutnick is betting on the IEEPA tariffs being struck down. Cantor will collect 100% of the refund plus interest."
🍃"When Trump’s [Tariff] case is ultimately ruled illegal in October, it will retroactively invalidate the tariffs already collected. That triggers a refund crisis."
🍃"[The] Treasury would owe billions it never budgeted for, markets would smell blood, and suddenly we’re talking collapse pressure in real time. It’s a disaster akin to the Stock Market collapse of 1929."
🍃
Trump's Tariff Coaster is Coming Down
https://open.substack.com/pub/barrygander/p/trumps-tariff-coaster-is-coming-down
🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻
Elbows UP! 🏒
🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁
the heymacs - Under The Influence
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jtBupFKuXAA
🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁
Keep protests peaceful.
Don't kill anyone.
Here are resistance related guides from around the world:
🇺🇸 Fundamentals of physical surveillance: a guide for uniformed and plainclothes personnel
https://archive.org/details/fundamentalsofph0000silj
The RCMP has its own publications including:
🇨🇦 GCPSG-022 (2025) - Threat and Risk Assessment Guide
GCPSG-010 (2022) - Operational Physical Security Guide
🇨🇦 GCPSG-019 (2023) - Protection, Detection, Response, and Recovery Guide
https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/physec-secmat/pubs/index-eng.htm
The non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation also has excellent guides on:
🇺🇸 Street Level Surveillance
🇺🇸 Surveillance Self-Defense
🇪🇺 🇸🇪⚠️ Resistance Operating Concept
https://jsou.edu/Press/PublicationDashboard/25
🇺🇦 🇺🇲 Radio Free Ukraine Resistance Manual
https://radiofreeukraine.com/3d-flip-book/resistance-manual/
⚠️ Assessing Revolutionary And Insurgent Strategies (ARIS) Studies
Small Wars Journal
Assessing Revolutionary and Insurgent Strategies (ARIS) Project
Author's website:
On Resistance, Revolutions, and Insurgencies
https://zimmerer.typepad.com/resistance/
Free PDF download of the book from the original author:
Casebook on Insurgency and Revolutionary Warfare, Volume II 1962 - 2009
http://zimmerer.typepad.com/Documents/ARIS%20Casebook%20Vol%202%202012%20s.pdf
⚠️ Civilian-Based Defense: A Post-Military Weapons System
https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/resource/civilian-based-defense-a-post-military-weapons-system/
🏁 Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States Office of Strategic Services
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26184?ref=404media.co
⚠️ Library of Congress
Revelations from the Russian archives: documents in English translation
https://www.loc.gov/item/96024752
🏁 Robert Reich/Resistance School
Communicating Across Difference
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaT8gjnOmQl3dguy0_E0vVCL5ZYEyCTzu
🏁 Bernie Sanders:
https://m.youtube.com/@BernieSanders
🏁 CPJ Committee to Protect Journalists:
Safety Kit
🏁 Activist Handbook:
https://activisthandbook.org/introduction
(⚠️ These are USA sponsored websites. Some publications may have been removed by the Trump regime)
🚨🚨WOW - Thank You for the information!!
Howard Lutnick 🚨🚨🚨
Well, Well, Well
🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈
🚔🚔🚔🚔🚔
Insider Trading????
On a massive scale???
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Hi all!
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When possible, procedures should be done to disbar lawyers that participate in illegal or knowingly inaccurate actions.
Trump would have a lot less lawyers on his side if they knew they could be disbarred. .
I've got just one thing to say to all you Judges. Look to Vought and Peter Thiel and his Palantir company for what's REALLY behind all the presidents men. Opus Dei and The Heritage Society, along with Palantir is the real enemy of the USA.
Excellent reporting. Standing ovation for the ACLU.
What I keep wondering is : what happened to the other 249 besides Kilmar Abrego Garcia who were on that first plane to El Salvador? Are they still there?
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