this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2026
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[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 98 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Reed O'Connor is a totally nutso federal judge in Fort Worth.

Last month, DOJ subpoenaed a hospital in Rhode Island to obtain the private medical records of certain trans children. Three government went to Reed O'Connor to enforce this subpoena, which he did.

Within hours of the gov's motion he ruled ex parte to order the hospital to turn over the docs on a short deadline. He didn't give the hospital a chance to respond, which is a big judicial no-no. He also ignored venue rules. Venue rules would indicate that the proper place to file this kind of enforcement motion would be the federal courthouse in Rhode Island, where the hospital is. There's no reason for this case to be in Fort Worth besides the fact that Reed O'Connor is in Fort Worth.

Anyhow, the hospital filed a motion in Rhode Island Court seeking to quash the subpoena, which the Rhode Island judge did. This caused Reed O'Connor to completely lose his shit. He just flat out ignored the perfectly valid court order to quash from his fellow federal judge in Rhode Island. And he ordered the hospital not to file any other motions, lawsuits, or appeals in any other court besides his own. This is a serious violation of the hospital's first amendment right to seek redress of grievances by filing motions, lawsuits, and appeals in courts of law.

Also, earlier this week, Texas and the feds conspired to rewrite immigration rules in Reed O'Connor's Court. The rule in question allows immigration judges to "administratively" close cases which stops a deportation, but leaves the immigrant in legal limbo. Normally, to change a federal rule, you have to spend years collecting public comments and revising before it becomes final.

Here's what happened instead. The state of Texas filed a lawsuit against the federal government that claimed the rule was somehow illegal. The federal government filed a proposed settlement agreement to settle the lawsuit. Then Reed O'Connor filed a final judgement and permanent injunction overturning the rule. This all happened in the span of a few hours instead of years.

It is also very illegal. Because it's obvious that both Texas and the feds want the same outcome, there is no genuine dispute or controversy to this lawsuit. If this is not a genuine "case or controversy", the federal courts have no jurisdiction to do anything.

And so on, and so on. There's a long Wikipedia article full of older stuff from the past. But hopefully you get some idea of how crazy this guy is.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 32 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Imagine if a Obama or Biden aligned judge did something like this.

[–] tacoplease@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago

An Obama or Biden judge could have enforced a littering fine and MAGA would have lost its mind.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

We're way past pieces of paper mattering at all

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world -3 points 2 days ago
[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 6 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Is there a protocol for expelling a state from the Union?

For fuck's sake, give Texas back to Mexico! We can keep a round 50 states by granting Puerto Rico statehood.

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Texas wanted to secede ages ago whatever happened with that?

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 days ago

We shoulda let them, honestly. Republicans would never win another election, and their economy would crash without all the welfare they get from the federal government funded primarily by California and New York taxpayers...

Sure, it would suck for all the minorities in Texas. But maybe just create a program to help people relocate to a different state?

[–] Lemming6969@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

This would actually be crazy fun to watch unfold.

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

No. We settled that shit in 1865.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 day ago

So now they're going to bring the whole country down with them, while collecting tax money from the coastal states and New England?

Pass...

[–] HasturInYellow@lemmy.world 27 points 2 days ago (1 children)

There are truly only like 5000 people destroying the planet. I feel like this guy has joined the list.

[–] cyclonedusk@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I wish I could personally cross off some of those names

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

If I had a Death Note...

[–] huppakee@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I don't condone violence but if i was granted wishes somehow i'd wish that.

[–] edible_funk@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago

Killing fascists is self defense.

[–] jtrek@startrek.website 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

So... How do we remove this guy from office?

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago (2 children)

That's the fun part... You don't!

More seriously, the process is the same as to impeach the President. File articles of impeachment in the House, pass committee, pass the rules committee, pass the House floor, hold a trial in the Senate, and get 2/3 of Senators to convict.

In the meantime, this man enjoys absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for his judicial acts.

[–] jtrek@startrek.website 23 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's things like this that make people say Luigi is a saint. There are people just clearly doing awful things with immunity, and there's no lawful mechanisms to deal with it.

[–] Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 day ago

This is why confining the scope of your actions to be within the bounds of law that was specifically written to disenfranchise you from your political will and make you subservient to the whims of the owning class is fallacy at best.

[–] tacoplease@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Mario, it'sa me!!!