XPost: milw.politics, alt.politics.immigration, talk.politics.guns
XPost: sac.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
MADISON, Wis. (AP) � The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended a judge accused
of helping a man evade immigration authorities, saying Tuesday that it is
in the public interest to relieve her of her duties as she faces two
federal charges.
The FBI took Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan into custody
Friday morning at the county courthouse. She has been charged with
concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest and
obstructing or impeding a proceeding.
In its two-page order, the court said it was acting to protect public confidence in Wisconsin courts during the criminal proceedings against
Dugan. The order noted that the court was acting on its own initiative and
was not responding to a request from anyone. Liberal justices control the
court 4-3.
�It is ordered ... that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah C. Dugan is temporarily prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge
in the state of Wisconsin, effective the date of this order and until
further order of the court,� the justices wrote.
In a statement, Dugan�s legal team said it was disappointed �that the
Court acted in unilateral fashion. We continue to assert Judge Dugan�s innocence and look forward to her vindication in court.�
A state court spokesperson said that a reserve judge began filling in for
Dugan on Monday for an indefinite period.
Dugan is accused of escorting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer from her
court through the jury door last week after learning that U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement agents were in the building and seeking his
arrest. Flores-Ruiz, who court documents say illegally reentered the U.S.
after being deported in 2013, was taken into custody outside after a foot chase.
Court documents suggest Dugan was alerted to the agents� presence by her
clerk, who was informed by an attorney that they appeared to be in the
hallway.
An FBI affidavit says Dugan was �visibly angry� over the agents� arrival
and called the situation �absurd� before leaving the bench and retreating
to her chambers. It says she and another judge later approached members of
the arrest team inside the courthouse with what witnesses described as a �confrontational, angry demeanor.�
After a back-and-forth with officers over the warrant for Flores-Ruiz,
Dugan demanded they speak with the chief judge and led them away from the courtroom, the affidavit says.
After directing the agents to the chief judge�s office, investigators say, Dugan returned to the courtroom and was heard saying words to the effect
of �wait, come with me� before ushering Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer through
the jury door into a nonpublic area.
The action was unusual, the affidavit says, because �only deputies,
juries, court staff, and in-custody defendants being escorted by deputies
used the back jury door. Defense attorneys and defendants who were not in custody never used the jury door.�
Dugan�s arrests has sparked outrage among Democrats, who have accused the
Trump administration of trying to chill the judiciary. Demonstrators
gathered outside the FBI�s Milwaukee field office Saturday to protest her arrest.
She is set to appear in court for arraignment May 15.
Her attorneys include Craig Mastantuono; Paul Clement, a prominent
conservative lawyer; and Steve Biskupic, a former U.S. attorney for the
Eastern District of Wisconsin who was appointed by President George W.
Bush.
https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-judge-arrested-supreme-court- suspended-49f25ea7702d3211719f926f8cfc90b7
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