More than 130 former judges blow up Judge Hannah Dugan’s indictment as “shocking beyond”
More than 130 former state and federal judges have urged the government to file a lawsuit against Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, calling her lawsuit a “over-examination” in the executive branch.
A Wisconsin judge was indicted in April after being arrested last month for helping undocumented immigrants. She faces federal charges that obstruct or obstruct litigation and conceal individuals to prevent discovery and arrest of persons, which are sentenced to up to six years in prison and a fine of $350,000. She pleaded not guilty.
A group of 138 former judges filed a friend-of-the-court summary in Friday’s case, urging the government to dismiss the charges and warned Dugan’s prosecution “threatening to undermine the centuries of judicial immunity and are vital to an effective judiciary.”
The former judge wrote that the case “represents an extraordinary and direct attack on the independence of the entire judicial system”. “Allowing prosecution of a state circuit judge to be directly trapped in action in her due judicial discretion sets a dangerous precedent that will relax judicial decisions at all levels.”
The organization argued: “As a judge, she has the right to enjoy absolute immunity for her formal actions; this standard for prosecution is the same as actions taken by members of the legislative and executive branch in their official capacity.”
Dozens of former state and federal judges urge the government to drop charges against Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan in new documents (AP)
Dugan’s lawyers were similar when they filed a motion to dismiss the case this month. Her lawyer quoted Trump v. United States, The Supreme Court ruled that the president was exempted from criminal prosecution for official actions. Her lawyers believe: “Judges have the right to obtain absolute immunity for their judicial conduct without the motive for allegedly performing them.”
The group acknowledged that judges may make mistakes, but those mistakes are corrected in the judiciary. “When the judge allegedly committed some problem or abused the authority specifically authorized by the judiciary, it belongs specifically to judicialnot prosecutors, are to investigate alleged errors through appeal proceedings or judicial misconduct,” they wrote.
The 138 retired judges also threatened the public’s trust in the judicial system and the ability of the public to use the court’s capabilities without fear of being retaliated with the “severe promotion of the executive branch.”
She was released after her first appearance on April 25. However, the state’s Supreme Court suspended her from the bench a few days later. The state Supreme Court wrote in an April 29 order: “The public interest has been released temporarily.”
Friday’s amicus summary was a letter written by 150 former judges to Attorney General Pam Bondi after Dugan was arrested. They slam Bondi for “destroying” on April 25 (the date of Dugan’s arrest). On the same day, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on his official social media account: “No one is above the law.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly attacked judges, and the president himself even called for each shot in social media posts. The Post prompted Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare statement: “Impotence has been determined to be an appropriate response to the differences in judicial decisions. The normal appeal review process is for this purpose.”
