title:  Federal Judge Just Gave Attorney General Jeff Sessions A Huge F*ck You
text: A federal judge just proudly gave Jeff Sessions the middle finger by approving Baltimore s police reforms even after the attorney general had voiced his opposition.The Justice Department began investigating the Baltimore Police Department in 2014 after news reports that they had paid out millions to settle upwards of 100 lawsuits over police brutality and misconduct. Following the death of Freddie Gray in 2015, the investigation intensified. The DOJ, which was still under former President Obama at the time, found widespread unconstitutional and discriminatory practices.Mother Jones reports:  Earlier this week, Sessions ordered a review of all consent decrees between police departments and the Justice Department. Department lawyers asked the US district court in Baltimore to put off approving the consent decree for at least 30 days so the new administration could review it. I have grave concerns that some provisions of this decree will reduce the lawful powers of the police department and result in a less safe city,  Sessions said in a scathing statement.  Make no mistake, Baltimore is facing a violent crime crisis. On Friday, US District Judge James Bredar told Sessions to go to hell, informing him that  the time for negotiating the agreement is over. The case is no longer in a phase where any party is unilaterally entitled to reconsider the terms of the settlement; the parties are bound to each other by their prior agreement,  Bredar wrote.  The time for negotiating the agreement is over. The only question now is whether the Court needs more time to consider the proposed decree. It does not. According to Sessions, the agreement was put together in a rush at the very end of Obama s presidency and it looks like he is right. The final report was issued last summer but after Trump was elected, officials reportedly scrambled to get everything finalized, and for good reason. Because they managed to complete this particular task before Obama left office, Sessions  hands are now tied.Featured image via Win McNamee/Getty Images