A federal magistrate judge in New Jersey on Wednesday reprimanded prosecutors for charging Democrat Newark Mayor Ras Baraka with trespassing at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, two days after interim U.S. attorney Alina Habba announced the charge would be dropped.
During a hearing at U.S. District Court in Newark, Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa dismissed the federal complaint with prejudice, meaning it can’t be brought again, The Hill reported. Espinosa then directed his wrath at U.S. attorney Stephen Demanovich, saying that even though Demanovich had acted appropriately throughout the case, as a representative of the U.S. attorney’s office for New Jersey, he was responsible for hearing the message.
“Your role is not to secure convictions at all costs, nor to satisfy public clamor, nor to advance political agendas,” said Espinosa, according to The Hill. “Your allegiance is to the impartial application of the law, to the pursuit of truth and to the upholding of due process for all.”
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