Legal Case Analysis

J.G.G. v. TRUMP, 1:25-cv-00766, (D.D.C. Apr 16, 2025) ECF No. 81

The NPCs will have their marching orders by now. Yesterday it was “Trump is ignoring a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling that he return Garcia”, today it will be “Trump held in contempt of court.”

Since I’m writing this yesterday, we’ll see how good I am at predicting the NPCs.

We need to start on March 15, 2025. The Trump signed an EO designating TDA and MS-13 as terrorist organizations and ordered their removal under the Alien Enemies Act. Five TDA members filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus.

If the writ is granted by the court, the named plaintiffs must be presented to the court, in person, in corpus (body)

That same day, the court granted a TRO forbidding the removal of the named TDA members. The court claims that the plaintiffs (bad guys) have satisfied the four factors governing the issuance of preliminary relief.

The court didn’t bother to show what those arguments are, nor did the court bother to write an opinion to accompany the order. It is reasonable for the TRO to be granted, the order entered, and then later an opinion entered into the record.

The government immediately filed an appeal to the D.C. Circuit.

Later that same day, the 15th, the court decided to extend the TRO to all noncitizens of the in U.S. custody who are subject to removal via the AEA.

The government then appealed the class certification, extending the TRO to all terrorists in U.S. custody.

Lots of back and forth took place, then on the 28th, the court extended the TRO until April 12th. Thus putting a one-month delay on deporting terrorists.

The same day, the government filed an application with the Supreme Court to vacate the orders of the inferior district court.

The first thing to note is that what the district court was a TRO the Supreme Court construed as appealable injunctions. The D.C. Circuit Court has taken all TROs at face value. I.e., not appealable.

The Supreme Court then vacated the TROs on the 7th of April.

As is normal in such situations, the Supreme Court ruled on the narrow question of venue. And that venue is NOT the district court of D.C.

Conclusion

I’m tired of reading this rogue inferior court judge yap. So I’ll wrap it up for y’ll.

The plaintiffs and the court were attempting to stop the Article II executive branch from performing its Constitutional duties and responsibilities.

The court issued a TRO even though the court did not have the jurisdiction to do so nor had they properly analyzed the Winter Factors as applied to this case.

The problem for the government is that judicial orders, in general, must be obeyed. Even if the court issued them erroneously and without proper authority to do so.

The administration learned their lesson. They are no immediately filing appeals when there are tight deadlines. Even an administrative stay gets them out of the contempt trap.

In this case, there was no deadline. The deadline was “now”. Since the government didn’t do what the court told them to do, they can be held in contempt.

Even though the Supreme Court later vacated the self-styled TRO.

This is just lawfare in a different way.


Comments

4 responses to “J.G.G. v. TRUMP, 1:25-cv-00766, (D.D.C. Apr 16, 2025) ECF No. 81”

  1. It's just Boris Avatar
    It’s just Boris

    It’s getting ridiculous, is what it is.

    And you called it, as I heard on one of the NPR “business” news shows I half listen to on my daily commute. (Opposition research, you know.) They seem positively gleeful at the prospect of a real constitutional crisis.

  2. Trump needs to start rounding up robed traitors and putting them under a gallows where subhuman animals belong.

    Or just start treating them as accomplices to the criminals they openly support at the expense of the American People.

    1. curby Avatar

      good point. I have been saying for years- if gun owners and gun manufacturers can be blamed for criminal use of guns, why can’t judges be blamed when they let criminals out and they commit crimes…

  3. A commenter on another site pointed out, the “now” deadline is unreasonable, bordering on impossible to meet. Thus the order cannot be obeyed.

    That said, the administration could have (should have?) responded to the order with, “We’ve tried and done all we can to comply with this order, but it’s out of our hands.” That alone could have defused this whole hullabaloo. But they didn’t — didn’t try and didn’t respond.

    SCOTUS stepped in and said that the D.C. court isn’t the correct jurisdiction to issue such an order, which should vacate the whole thing and keep someone from being held in contempt. Generally, however, even court orders that are later ruled invalid — for jurisdictional issues, or because they’re impossible or unlawful, or whatever reason — nevertheless must be obeyed until they are ruled invalid, because the administration didn’t even try to obey, someone can still be in contempt of court.

    That said, all the judge can do is refer the matter for prosecution … to the federal DoJ … under this same administration. All AG Pam Bondi has to say is, “We’ve reviewed the case and declined to prosecute,” and it’s effectively over.

    At the end of the day, this seems like another activist judge who is doing everything he can to force the administration into contempt proceedings. The goal isn’t justice, it’s “Get Trump!”

    My thought on this is, Congress should be reminded that according to Article III, Section 1:
    – Congress has the Constitutional power and authority to ordain and establish inferior courts;
    – The authority to ordain and establish comes with the commensurate authority to disband said inferior courts;
    – “The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour”; and
    – As such, whether or not SCOTUS reins in the out-of-control rogue judges, Congress has the power and authority to remove judges and judicial districts who are behaving badly.

    Final thought: “Impeachment” is a word that’s getting thrown around a lot, but it’s the wrong move; a judge can only be impeached for actual criminal activity and it requires a 2/3 majority in the Senate. Congress exercising its authority would meet the same goals — removing activist judge(s) — with a simple Congressional majority.

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