Trial day acceptable for Wisconsin justice
A bipartisan radical of much than 130 retired judges filed a little Friday urging a national tribunal to driblet charges against Wisconsin justice Hannah Dugan, saying her apprehension undermines "centuries of precedent connected judicial immunity."
Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit tribunal judge, was arrested April 25 by FBI agents connected national allegations she prevented the apprehension of a antheral by migration authorities during a national instrumentality enforcement cognition astatine her courthouse. The man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, was arrested and detained astatine an migration detention center.
In an amicus little filed Friday, the radical of judges reason that Dugan shouldn't beryllium prosecuted due to the fact that "she is entitled to implicit immunity for her authoritative acts."
"This barroom connected prosecution is the aforesaid implicit immunity that is fixed to members of the legislative and enforcement branches for their actions taken successful an authoritative capacity," the little read.
The radical of 138 erstwhile authorities and national judges called the prosecution of Dugan, who was indicted by a expansive assemblage earlier this period connected 1 number each of concealing an idiosyncratic to forestall apprehension and obstruction, an "egregious overreach by the enforcement branch" that "threatens nationalist spot successful the judicial strategy and the quality of the nationalist to avail themselves of courthouses without fearfulness of reprisal."
"Allowing prosecution of Judge Dugan for the alleged actions would make a chilling effect connected judges that would stifle autarkic decision-making and formed uncertainty connected the cosmopolitan designation that judges are successful complaint of maintaining bid and decorum successful their courtrooms and courthouses," the radical of judges wrote.
They besides argued that prosecuting Dugan "threatens to undermine centuries of precedent connected judicial immunity, important for an effectual judiciary."
Dugan, who was released from custody pursuing her arrest, pleaded not blameworthy earlier this month. A national justice acceptable her proceedings to statesman the week of July 21.
Dugan has served arsenic a justice successful Milwaukee County Circuit Court since 2016, aft she was elected with about 65% of the vote. She was reelected successful 2022 aft moving unopposed.
Scott MacFarlane and Jacob Rosen contributed to this report.
Kierra Frazier is simply a quality exertion for CBS News & Stations.
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