# "So-called judge" - can Trump be held in contempt of court? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063 "2017-02-05T15:15:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/41 "2017-02-06T23:56:12Z")
I strongly dislike the three judges I’ve dealt with, and two of them were assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/42 "2017-02-07T00:03:59Z")
If this judge’s stay on the executive order gets overturned, would he lose his job for misbehaviour? I wonder if that’s what Trump is on about. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/43 "2017-02-07T00:13:44Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > No competent legal advisor would have told the President that this EO was illegal. Most people plan for a career that’s _not_ measured in minutes. ---
**Author:** ![dofe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@dofe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dofe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/44 "2017-02-07T00:16:14Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > If this judge’s stay on the executive order gets overturned, would he lose his job for misbehaviour? I wonder if that’s what Trump is on about. Didn’t you already ask this question in another [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=818204&page=2)? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/45 "2017-02-07T06:23:14Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > If this judge’s stay on the executive order gets overturned, would he lose his job for misbehaviour? I wonder if that’s what Trump is on about. Only if he was impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted by a two thirds vote in the Senate. Impeaching a federal judge for the simple fact that he was overruled by a higher court would be incredibly extreme, of course, and is not in any way likely to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/46 "2017-02-07T07:55:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I thought that “contempt of court” was something the court did to you; holding you in contempt of court. For example, refusing to answer a question. Other have already answered this but I’ll just add that it’s not just “contempt” in the normal English meaning, like saying something demeaning, but it is also failure to do what the court (judge) tells you to do. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/47 "2017-02-07T09:53:49Z")
> [@dofe](#): > > Didn’t you already ask this question in another [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=818204&page=2)? Sort of. I asked and misbehaviour was given as one reason for losing the job, so I mentioned it here. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/48 "2017-02-07T09:56:21Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Impeaching a federal judge for the simple fact that he was overruled by a higher court would be incredibly extreme, of course, and is not in any way likely to happen. But impeaching one for making a political decision unfounded by law is another matter, surely? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/49 "2017-02-07T10:27:52Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > But impeaching one for making a political decision unfounded by law is another matter, surely? No. A temporary restraining order being overturned by the appellate court does not automatically make the order a political!!! decision!!! unfounded!!! by!!! law!!!, but it any case it’s not common for judges to be removed for such reasons anyways. Pretty much the only way he’ll be removed is if he’s found to be on the take. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/50 "2017-02-07T12:17:04Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > No. A temporary restraining order being overturned by the appellate court does not automatically make the order a political!!! decision!!! unfounded!!! by!!! law!!! Holy exclamation marks! We’re! not! Yahoo! 🙂 But if it were found that this judge’s actions were political and unfounded by law, then that would be a different matter, right? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2017, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063/51 "2017-02-07T12:33:59Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > But if it were found that this judge’s actions were political and unfounded by law, then that would be a different matter, right? That’s not really how it works, but in any case, no, he’d still have a job. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-called-judge-can-trump-be-held-in-contempt-of-court/779063.md?page=2)