Bickering over Bovino: Lawyers swap complaints of obstruction, 'sandbagging' during deposition

Fury Erupts During Deposition of US Border Patrol Commander as Lawyers Clash Over Obstruction and Questions

A contentious hearing took place in a federal courtroom last week, with lawyers on both sides exchanging heated complaints about obstruction and the improper form of questions. The deposition of U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino was underway when government lawyer Sarmad Khojasteh exclaimed that he felt "sandbagged" by the questions posed to him.

Khojasteh claimed that Bovino's team had not adequately prepared him for certain lines of questioning, including those related to body-worn camera footage from Los Angeles. In response, plaintiffs' attorney Steven Art told the judge that Bovino had been instructed not to answer some questions and that a substantial amount of time was wasted arguing over the proper form of queries.

However, Judge Sara Ellis intervened, expressing frustration with Khojasteh's behavior during the hearing. She reminded him that while she may not care about his personal opinions, she expected respect for her office. When Khojasteh interrupted Ellis multiple times, she scolded him, saying "It's not that I expect you to respect me as a person... Frankly, I don't care what you think about me at all."

The hearing centered on the lawsuit brought by media organizations against the government over their treatment of protesters and journalists during the Trump administration's deportation campaign known as "Operation Midway Blitz." Bovino was questioned about his communications with deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Ellis allowed plaintiffs to question Bovino under oath and behind closed doors, but criticized the Justice Department for not properly preparing him for certain questions. She ruled that questions about body-worn camera footage from Los Angeles were permissible, as long as they related to the specific incidents alleged in the lawsuit.

The exchange highlighted the contentious nature of the case, with both sides accusing each other of obstruction and misconduct. The outcome of the deposition remains unclear, but the transcript offers a glimpse into the heated and intense dynamics at play in this high-stakes court battle.
 
πŸ€” it's crazy to see how heated things got during that deposition. like what is 'sandbagged' even supposed to mean? πŸ˜‚ it just seems like both sides were trying to trip each other up and neither was being super cool about it. judge ellis just tried to keep the peace but those lawyers were pushing her buttons for sure 🚫 the whole thing just felt super dramatic and unnecessary ⏰
 
🀯 I mean, can we talk about how frustrating it is to watch lawyers behave like toddlers on here? Like, Sarmad Khojasteh gets all bent outta shape because he's not getting asked the questions he wants and now he's just being super rude to the judge... πŸ™„ What a waste of time. And don't even get me started on how poorly prepared this guy was supposed to be for some of those questions... like, come on! If you're gonna make someone answer under oath, at least have the decency to brief them on what's going down beforehand. It's just basic human decency. πŸ˜’
 
🀯 I don't know about you guys, but this whole thing seems super shady πŸ€‘... like, why did Khojasteh get all defensive and interrupt Ellis? πŸ™„ shouldn't he just answer the questions honestly? πŸ˜’ And what's with Bovino not being prepared for those questions? πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ Either way, it's all kinda messy πŸ’”. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole Operation Midway Blitz thing... what even was that all about? πŸ€”
 
🀯 I mean, come on! Can't they just be civil? I was watching this whole thing go down and it was like, so unprofessional. This lawyer, Sarmad Khojasteh, he's just being really snippy and condescending to the judge. And the judge, Sara Ellis, she's trying to keep a straight face but you can tell she's getting frustrated. I don't blame her! It's not exactly pleasant to have to deal with someone being so rude and dismissive.

And what's with all these questions about body-worn camera footage from LA? Can't they just focus on the facts of the case instead of trying to trip each other up? I know it's a big lawsuit, but you'd think people could be able to have a civil conversation without all the bickering and sniping.

I'm not taking sides or anything, but it just seems like this whole thing is getting pretty heated. Can't we all just get along? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ
 
πŸ€” gotta feel for Sarmad Khojasteh, man... he's just doing his job, right? πŸ™ and I think Judge Ellis was way too harsh on him. I mean, yeah, he did get a little flustered, but come on, it's not like he's trying to be confrontational or anything πŸ˜…. And honestly, I think the plaintiffs' attorney Steven Art is being kinda aggressive himself, pushing for certain questions that might be a bit too invasive 🀯. At the end of the day, it's all about getting to the truth, you know? πŸ’‘
 
omg what a drama fest 🀯 this guy Khojasteh is lowkey being super entitled lol he's all like "sandbagged" but really he's just getting roasted for not being prepared i feel bad for the judge tho, Sara Ellis she's gotta deal with these mouthy lawyers on a daily basis πŸ˜’ anyway what's good about this whole thing tho? it's like, finally someone's speaking up about those journalists and protesters who got treated so unfairly during that crazy deportation campaign πŸ“°πŸ’ͺ
 
I'm really surprised by what I just read about that US Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino's deposition hearing 🀯. It sounds like lawyers on both sides were totally at odds, with government lawyer Sarmad Khojasteh feeling "sandbagged" and plaintiffs' attorney Steven Art saying that the government wasn't preparing him for some questions properly πŸ˜’. Meanwhile, Judge Sara Ellis was having none of it - she called out Khojasteh's behavior and reminded him to respect her office πŸ™„. I get why both sides are fighting hard over this case, especially since it's about the treatment of protesters and journalists during the Trump administration's deportation campaign πŸ’”. The fact that the hearing got so heated is just a reminder that there's still a lot of work to be done to ensure accountability and transparency in government πŸ•’οΈ.
 
πŸ’” u gotta wonder why ppl r so emotional about this thing... like its just a job 4 some1 & they got 2 answer questions. can't even get thru deposition without throwing shade lol πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ anyway, it seems like there's a lot of pressure on the border patrol commander & his team. all these allegations against them r really gonna be investigated? and what's up w/ the lawyer's behavior? dude got schooled by the judge πŸ™
 
can you believe how unprofessional that lawyer khojasteh was? πŸ™„ like, i get it he's frustrated with the questions but interrupting the judge is just rude . and btw why do they need to keep these depositions behind closed doors anyway? seems like a huge waste of taxpayer dollars to me πŸ’Έ. anyways, hope the court figures out what's really going on and doesn't let the government get away with hiding stuff πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ
 
OMG 🀯 is it even possible for lawyers to be so uptight?! πŸ™„ I mean I get it, they're trying to protect their client's interests, but can't they just chill out a bit? πŸ˜‚ This whole thing feels like a bunch of grown adults having a major tantrum in court. And what's with the judge being all scolded by her own lawyer? πŸ€” Like, I get it too, Sarmad, you're feeling sandbagged, but do you have to be so dramatic about it?! πŸ˜‚ The whole thing just feels super unprofessional and annoying...
 
I'm tellin' ya... 🀯 this whole thing is just so crazy! I mean, who gets that worked up over some questions about body-worn camera footage? πŸ˜‚ It's like, calm down, dude! You're supposed to be a grown-up and answer questions, not throw a tantrum. And what really got my goat was when the judge told him to pipe down and respect her office. I'm all for callin' out people who don't play by the rules, but this guy just seemed like he was tryin' to get under her skin. πŸ˜’ It's days like these that make me think, what were we worried about back in my day? We used to have real arguments, not this fake stuff. πŸ™„
 
🀯 I'm surprised by how heated things got during that deposition! Like, I get it, lawyers want to protect their clients, but come on, can't they keep it civil? πŸ™„ The judge was totally right to call out the lawyer who was interrupting her - no one likes being talked over, especially in a professional setting. πŸ’β€β™€οΈ And honestly, I'm curious about what's going down with this lawsuit against the government... seems like there's some serious tension between the media and the border patrol. πŸ“°πŸš«
 
Ugh, can you believe this guy Khojasteh? πŸ˜’ He's getting all bent out of shape over being questioned about his performance as a border patrol commander. Newsflash, dude: if you're in a deposition, you're gonna get grilled by lawyers on both sides! 🀯 I've been in some intense meetings with my boss when we were trying to launch a new app, and let me tell you, it's all about being prepared for the tough questions.

And what really gets my goat is when someone interrupts another person who's just trying to do their job. Like, Judge Ellis was totally right to call him out on that! πŸ™„ You gotta respect people in power, even if you disagree with them. I've had some pretty heated debates with my friends online, but we always manage to keep it civil... most of the time πŸ˜‚. This whole situation just feels like a big mess, and I'm not sure what's gonna come out of this deposition or lawsuit. One thing's for sure, though: it's gonna be interesting to watch! πŸ€”
 
🀣 Can you believe that guy Sarmad Khojasteh was getting all worked up like a teenager on their birthday? "Sandbagged" by questions? Give me a break! πŸ˜‚ It's just a deposition, dude! He should've known what he was getting himself into. And honestly, I feel bad for Judge Ellis, she just wants to get this hearing over with so she can go have a nice cup of tea 🍡. The whole thing sounds super dramatic and like a reality TV show πŸ“Ί. Who knew border patrol commanders could be so much drama? πŸ’β€β™‚οΈ
 
πŸ€” I'm so done with these government lawyers acting like they're above the law. It's not just about the questions being asked, it's about their behavior too. The fact that Sarmad Khojasteh felt "sandbagged" by the questions is legit, but his outburst and constant interruptions to the judge are completely unacceptable πŸ™„. It's like they think they can just steamroll over anyone who gets in their way.

And what really got me was Judge Ellis calling him out for disrespecting her office. I mean, yes, she's a powerful person, but that doesn't mean we should be intimidated by them. We need more people like her who aren't afraid to speak truth to power πŸ’ͺ.

It's crazy how much drama is going on in this case, with both sides accusing each other of obstruction and misconduct. Can we just focus on the facts for once? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ
 
omg u guys i just watched the whole thing on livestream 🀯 soooo Bovino's team was super unprepared for him to testify lol I feel bad for him because he got totally roasted by Judge Ellis πŸ˜‚ she's like a total boss tho and wasn't having any of Khojasteh's attitude πŸ™„ anyway i'm Team Justice Dept all the way but at the same time idk who's right or wrong cuz it sounds super complicated πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ personally i think its wild that Bovino had to answer questions about body-worn camera footage from LA like what even is that part of his job lol πŸ˜‚ and Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem are just adding fuel to the fire πŸš’πŸ”₯ anyway gotta keep an eye on this one cuz it's gonna be a wild ride πŸ‘€
 
😑 Oh man I'm just so fed up with these politicians and lawyers right now!!! 🀯 I mean, can't they just get along?! The whole thing with Bovino's deposition is just a mess. They're all so caught up in trying to one-up each other that they forget about the actual issues at hand.

I'm not even going to get into how unfair it is that some people are being treated worse than others, but let me tell you, it's just infuriating. The fact that Judge Ellis had to intervene and scold Khojasteh for interrupting her? πŸ™„ Come on! You're in a position of power, use some self-control!

And can we talk about how ridiculous the whole thing is? They're fighting over questions about body-worn camera footage from Los Angeles. Like, who even cares?! πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ I mean, I get that it's part of a bigger lawsuit and all, but it just seems so... petty.

Anyway, I'm just glad that Judge Ellis ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and allowed them to question Bovino under oath. Maybe now we'll finally get some answers about what really went down during those deportation campaigns. πŸ€” Fingers crossed! πŸ’ͺ
 
I don't think it's fair to say that Sarmad Khojasteh was "sandbagged" by the questions. I mean, he's the one who's supposed to be representing the government's interests, not the other way around πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ. And honestly, can we blame him for feeling frustrated? It sounds like Steven Art and the plaintiffs' team were trying to trip him up on purpose πŸ˜’. Plus, I think it's a little unfair that Judge Ellis scolded Khojasteh for interrupting her. She's the one who's supposed to be keeping everything civil, right? πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ
 
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