Trump-appointed judge says DOJ 'proven unworthy' of trust in blistering trans care case rulinghttps://www.advocate.com/politics/national/rhode-island-judge-torches-doj 🔗Christopher Wiggins (14 May 2026)
A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump issued a blistering opinion Wednesday night, accusing the Trump administration's Justice Department of "appalling" behavior, including misleading courts, manipulating the judicial system, and targeting transgender youth through what she concluded was an unlawful effort to obtain deeply sensitive medical records.
In a 24-page ruling, Rhode Island U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy quashed a federal subpoena seeking years of records connected to gender-affirming care for minors at Brown Health's Rhode Island Hospital. She also barred the Department of Justice from obtaining, retaining, or disseminating identifying patient information tied to the subpoena.
The opinion reads like a warning flare from the federal bench about the government's conduct.
"The discrepancy between the honorable conduct expected of federal prosecutors and DOJ's tactics in this case is unsettling," McElroy wrote.
From the opening paragraphs, McElroy identified the case as a breakdown in trust between the judiciary and the nation's most powerful law enforcement agency.
