A magistrate judge in Washington, D.C., was compelled to order the U.S. Marshal Service and D.C. Bureau of Prisons to defend themselves in court after they appeared to have lost a defendant in the system.
Reuters court reporter Brad Heath uncovered a seemingly frustrated demand about a defendant who had disappeared. It's the second time in recent weeks that the judge has demanded answers from the D.C. Bureau of Prisons, in particular.
Writing in a court demand, Judge Zia M. Faruqui has asked for a status conference on Wednesday for a man identified in the excerpt as Mr. Phillips, after it appears the system lost him. The judge seemed furious.
Writing this week, Faruqui said, "On September 9, 2025, the court again called a detention hearing; however, Mr. Phillips again was not brought to court. The Court received contradictory information about Mr. Phillips' location. He was either at the hospital or the jail. Regardless, he was not in court. Mr. Phillips' lawyer had not received any information about Mr. Phillips' status or location."
Judge Faruqui also pointed out, "... it bears repeating that: Mr. Phillips is presumed innocent; his lawyer has a right to know where he is; and Mr. Phillips has a right to medical care. The Court is concerned about these rights, among others."
The judge went on to demand that a representative from the D.C. Department of Corrections and the U.S. Marshal Service appear for the hearing on Wednesday. "Both parties shall be prepared to explain where Mr. Phillips has been, why he was moved between the jail and various medical facilities, and if Mr. Phillips cannot appear tomorrow, why he is not present."
This comes mere weeks after Judge Faruqui unleashed on the Bureau of Prisons after it refused to release a defendant after he'd ordered it.
President Donald Trump dispatched federal police and the National Guard into the nation's capital in late August, which led to a "surge" in arrests both for those accused of crimes and those who protested in a way that garnered reaction from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
CNN reported last month that the D.C. courts were a disaster after Pirro, "encouraged its prosecutors to bring more cases to federal court with the most serious charges they can pursue. Defense attorneys across the city believe weaker cases are now being brought into the system as smaller infractions are bumped up to more serious charges."
“It’s a real mess right now,” AJ Kramer, a federal public defender for D.C., told CNN of the overwhelmed judicial process.
Trump is now fine with allowing his occupation of Washington, D.C. to lapse, CNN also reported Wednesday.
