Charles D. Austin is a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Maryland, sworn in in October 2023. He previously served as an assistant United States attorney in Maryland and as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Case
DHS says ICE officers fired defensively when a driver rammed vehicles and drove at them in Glen Burnie, Maryland. County police corrected DHS on where an injured passenger was; the driver said he drove away fearing he would be shot.
Role at the time: U.S. Magistrate Judge presiding over the sentencing
Statement summary
At the April 27 sentencing hearing, Magistrate Judge Charles D. Austin said the court has "some skepticism about some of what the government has presented" based on "individuals who have not been identified or appeared in court", and said "This would not be the first case where an affidavit was found not to adequately capture the circumstances".
“The court has some skepticism about some of what the government has presented based on some individuals who have not been identified or appeared in court ... This would not be the first case where an affidavit was found not to adequately capture the circumstances”
The reference point includes the federal account of the encounter. Austin expresses skepticism about parts of the government's presentation and says affidavits have been found not to capture circumstances in other cases, without ruling on whether the shooting was warranted, so his remarks challenge the government's account rather than condemn the shooting.
Statement dates: April 27, 2026
Statement dates: April 27, 2026
Statement dates: April 27, 2026
