The Department of Justice received the green light to
continue the criminal proceedings against Democratic Congresswoman Lamonica
McIver of New Jersey after U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper determined there is
sufficient evidence to proceed.
The court ruling comes after McIver's arrest. She faces
charges of assault and of "violently obstructing and interfering"
with federal agents during an official inspection at a site within the United
States. The congresswoman had attempted to halt the legal proceedings earlier
this year when she filed a motion to dismiss the charges while detained at an
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New Jersey.
According to court documents, the defense argued that the
federal agents acted improperly and that the accusations lacked legal basis.
However, Judge Semper concluded that the prosecution had sufficient evidence
for the case to proceed to trial.
With this decision, McIver will face criminal proceedings
while remaining under federal supervision, in what is anticipated to be a
highly political and legally significant legal battle.