Appeals Court Probes Whether Judge Boasberg Exceeded His Authority

Boasberg attempted to investigate executive branch officials’ state of mind when they decided how to respond to one of his orders.

James Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, at an event in Washington on April 2, 2025. Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images

A federal appeals court has halted U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s pursuit of potential contempt for the Trump administration and signaled it would look into whether the judge was overstepping his authority in attempting to investigate the executive branch.

In an unsigned order on Dec. 15, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit requested a briefing on the legal basis for district courts, such as Boasberg’s, to investigate grounds for contempt.