Trump DOJ rips judge for motion to kill ICE obstruction case
Share this @internewscast.com

Background: Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan in court (WTMJ/YouTube). Left inset: Donald Trump speaks at the annual Road to Majority conference in Washington, DC, in June 2024 (Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP). Right inset: Surveillance video shows Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan speaking with ICE agents before Eduardo Flores-Ruiz’s detainment (WDJT/YouTube).

The Trump administration continues its legal battle against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, urging a federal court on Monday to reject her motion to dismiss the ICE obstruction case against her. The administration claims that the case is based on a “factually unsupported and inaccurate storyline” and involves an attempt to “commandeer” a state courtroom, along with a “manufactured version of judicial immunity.”

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice made the claims in a 25-page response to Dugan’s motion to dismiss that she filed on May 29.

Judge Dugan, 65, was indicted last month, accused of aiding an undocumented immigrant in evading federal officers shortly after a court appearance related to a domestic abuse case. She submitted a motion to dismiss the federal obstruction charges against her, arguing that she is entitled to broad judicial immunity, similar to the immunity a president has from prosecution for official actions while in office.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

“However, she cites no case in which a court has dismissed an indictment on either basis, and neither ground has merit,” the DOJ said in its response Monday.

“In her lengthy memorandum, Dugan concedes that ‘judges, like legislators and executive officials, are not above the law,’” the DOJ added. “Nonetheless, she claims that judges are entitled to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution except for ‘three categories of crimes,’ none of which — according to Dugan — applies here.”

More than 130 former state and federal judges have called for a dismissal of Dugan’s charges, joining forces in an amicus brief filed on May 30. The bipartisan collective — members of the group Democracy Defenders Fund — blasted Dugan’s arrest and prosecution as “an extraordinary and direct assault on the independence of the entire judicial system,” echoing statements made by Dugan in her motion. “This case directly threatens the ability of all judges to do their jobs without fear of retaliatory prosecution,” the brief charged.

In its response Monday, the DOJ said dismissing the charges because Dugan is “immune” would be what’s truly unprecedented.

“Dugan asks this Court for an unprecedented dismissal on grounds of judicial immunity, ignoring well-established law that has long permitted judges to be prosecuted for crimes they commit,” the DOJ said. “Such a ruling would give state court judges carte blanche to interfere with valid law enforcement actions by federal agents in public hallways of a courthouse, and perhaps even beyond. Dugan’s desired ruling would, in essence, say that judges are ‘above the law,’ and uniquely entitled to interfere with federal law enforcement.”

More from Law&Crime: ‘She knew nothing about it’: Judge accused of letting migrant out back door to avoid feds said she expected ICE to ‘do its job’

The DOJ went on to rip Dugan’s arguments as “inaptly” relying on civil law and “the notion that judicial immunity applies absent express Congressional abrogation.” The lawyers claim she does not point to any direct authority for her “theories” — nor could she, according to the Trump administration.

“The Supreme Court has made clear that judges are not immune from criminal liability,” the DOJ said, citing a 1974 ruling in O’Shea v. Littleton, which acknowledged that judges and magistrates can be held accountable in criminal proceedings or through civil rights lawsuits, when legally warranted.

“In the end, Dugan asks for this Court to develop a novel doctrine of judicial immunity from criminal prosecution, and to apply it to the facts alleged in the indictment, all without reasonable basis — directly or indirectly — in the Constitution, statutes, or case law,” the DOJ said.

Taking aim at her “commandeer” a state courtroom claims, the Justice Department said trial evidence, including video footage and audio recordings, will show that Dugan’s allegations are false. The agency described its arrest of Flores-Ruiz as being “planned” and orderly, rather than the takeover that Dugan says happened.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Gainesville Resident Faces Federal Indictment on Child Pornography Charges

Staff Report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Lee Johnson, III., aged 39, has…

Mother Faces Consequences After Choosing Cosmetic Procedure Over Child’s Health in Tragic Incident

Background: Maya Hernandez in court with defense attorney Teryl Wakeman (Law&Crime). Inset:…

Tragic Triple Homicide: Man Arrested After Allegedly Killing Three Women in One County

Inset: Ivan Miller (Archuleta County Sheriff”s Office). Background: Capitol Reef National Park…

Teen Allegedly Shoots 93-Year-Old Woman in Her Home After Dispute, Police Report

Background: A section of Kendale Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee (Google Maps). Inset…

Major Breakthrough in Search for Missing SA Mum: Vehicle Seized by Authorities

Over the past two days, law enforcement has intensified its efforts to…

Iowa Man Confesses to Killing Three Women in Utah to Steal Cars: ‘It Had to Be Done

A tragic incident unfolded in Utah this week, as a 22-year-old man…

Tragic Discovery: Mother Charged After Identifying Two Girls Found in Suitcases

A 28-year-old woman from Cleveland faces charges of aggravated murder following the…

Shocking Incident: Man Strikes Woman with Nissan Murano, Launching Her a Block Away – Police Report Reveals Details

Inset left: Charles Edward Wright (Philadelphia Police Department). Inset right: Veronica Herling…

Sydney Police Launch Manhunt for Suspect in Alleged Apartment Break-In and Sexual Assault

Authorities in Sydney’s western suburbs are on the lookout for a suspect…

Daughter Claims Mother Prevented Her from Leaving Home Before Fatal Shooting, According to Police

Background: News footage of the London, Ky., home where Carol Rich was…

Shocking School Trip Incident: 8th Graders Caught Filming Disturbing Assault

A Nevada judge has ruled that a 15-year-old boy will face trial…

Gainesville Resident Receives 22-Month Prison Sentence for Vehicle Ramming Incident

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 32-year-old man, Marlin D. Roper, has…