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SCHADENFREUDE

Permit us to end the week enjoying for a moment the misfortunes of someone else who has spent a career doing to others what’s about to be done to him. 

One of the country’s hardest-charging AUSA narcotics prosecutors was captured on law enforcement bodycams last July offering his business card to police to avoid being charged in a hit-and-run accident while his blood-alcohol level was over twice the legal limit. The story just broke a week ago thanks to the Associated Press.

Joseph Ruddy, 59, fled the crash scene but was followed to his home. There, he drunkenly handed his business card to police in what Associated Press said was “a clear attempt to influence this arrest based on his position as a federal prosecutor.” Indeed, after the cop read the card, he told Ruddy, “What are you trying to hand me? You realize when they pull my body-worn camera footage and they see this, this is going to go really bad.”

The officer was correct.

Ruddy, who has been prosecuting cases as an AUSA since 1985, appeared pretty drunk in footage obtained by the Associated Press. He admitted to having left the scene of the accident. He told the police, “I didn’t realize it was that serious.”

Let’s see some of the small-fry “mostly poor fishermen from Central and South America” Joe likes to prosecute for transporting drugs try that line as a defense trope.

Despite being charged, Ruddy remained on the job for two months, representing the United States in court as recently as early September. A day after the AP asked the US Attorney about his subordinate’s status, Ruddy was pulled off three pending criminal cases. A DOJ spokesman said only that Ruddy was still employed but had been removed from his supervisory AUSA role on July 11th.

Sure he was.

The case also has been referred to the Office of the Inspector General. That probe will likely focus on whether Ruddy was trying to use his public office for private gain, according to Kathleen Clark, a legal ethics professor at Washington University in St. Louis who reviewed the footage.

“It’s hard to see what this could be other than an attempt to improperly influence the police officer to go easy on him,” Clark said. “What could possibly be his purpose in handing over his U.S. Attorney’s Office business card?”

Ruddy has a state court appearance next Wednesday.

Youtube, Prosecutor offers business card in DUI Crash (September 8, 2023)

AP, Body cam catches elite federal prosecutor offering his Justice Department card in DUI crash arrest (September 8, 2023)

The Independent, Prosecutor allegedly caught on video sliding business card to police investigating a DUI hit-and-run (September 8, 2023)

– Thomas L. Root