This post was republished with permission from Zero Hedge
A Wisconsin judge pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges that she obstructed federal agents seeking to detain an illegal immigrant in her courtroom.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan entered her plea during a Wednesday morning arraignment in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, one day after she was indicted by a federal grand jury following her April arrest by the FBI on charges that she helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his attorney slide out the side of her courtroom on April 18 when ICE agents showed up to arrest him.
Dugan was charged with obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States and concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.
The two-page indictment accuses Dugan of confronting members of ICE and lying to them about needing a judicial warrant to conduct their operation. Dugan faces a maximum penalty of 6 years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines.
On Wednesday, Dugan claimed ‘judicial immunity’ – citing President Trump’s Supreme Court ruling from last year.
“The problems with this prosecution are legion, but most immediately, the government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” her lawyers wrote in a motion filed on Wednesday. “Immunity is not a defense to the prosecution to be determined later by a jury or court; it is an absolute bar to the prosecution at the outset,” they wrote, citing Trump v. United States.
In her motion to dismiss, Dugan’s lawyers quote from the Trump immunity ruling, where it said, “In dividing official from unofficial conduct, courts may not inquire into the President’s motives.” They quoted that line to support the argument that her “subjective motivations are irrelevant to immunity.” They also cite the Trump immunity ruling’s quotation of a prior precedent that said the essence of immunity is the immunity possessor not having to answer for their conduct in court. “Judge Dugan therefore has both immunity from conviction and immunity from prosecution,” they wrote. –MSNBC
According to her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, “as she said after her unnecessary arrest, Judge Dugan asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court.”
The state Supreme Court suspended Dugan while she contests charges of concealing Flores Ruiz and obstructing ICE.
On the day she was arrested, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said “If you are harboring a fugitive, we don’t care who you are, if you are helping hide…anyone who is illegally in this country, we will come after you and we will prosecute you. We will find you.”
FBI director Kash Patel said investigators believe Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents” away from Flores-Ruiz, as officers were preparing to arrest him in the courthouse where the judge works.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz – who was previously deported to his home country in 2013, was accused in a domestic violence case assigned to Dugan, according to officials.
Milwaukee County court and police records reveal more information about the incident that landed Flores Ruiz in Dugan’s court on three domestic abuse-battery charges.
Three people told police that Flores Ruiz injured them during a March 12 verbal and physical altercation, after which two of them sought hospital treatment.
Miguel Mendoza-Figueroa alleged that Flores Ruiz “intentionally … struck him multiple times in his body and face, causing pain and scratches during a verbal argument about loud music,” the police report says.
The man reported being punched about 30 times.
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Filthy traitor wench deserves a public flogging followed by 20-years at HARD-LABOR under US Marine Corps control.
Quote:
“Dugan was charged with obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States and concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.”
This Judge has ALREADY been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury whilst currently in Office whereas Trump has NOT been indicted for any alleged or actual crime whilst currently in Office. Taking a previous ruling made in respect of one individual as an example, does NOT automatically confer such rights to every other individual Official in the future since the alleged criminal charges are NOT the same and, furthermore, a president is not a Judge who gets to rule in final judgement on an alleged crime by a criminal perpetrator or perpetrators. There is simply no comparison.
Nope, the Judge cannot be permitted to use this particular precedence to wriggle out of her own indictment.
Judicial immunity would imply a fourth branch of government.
She must of studied law in some communist hell hole.
Yay, yet another bought n paid for shill…