Friday, April 25, 2025

“The Trump DOJ is run by morons and thugs.”


Southpaw:

Through all his troubles, neither the DOJ/FBI nor any state authorities ever subjected Donald Trump to arrest, preferring in every case to proceed by indictment and voluntary surrender. It’s notable that a sitting judge and pillar of the Milwaukee community was not extended the same courtesy.

How it went down:

It seems bozo ICE, CBP, FBI (why?), and DEA (why?) agents with a mere administrative removal warrant wanted to cause a big scene inside of a courthouse because that'd be fun.

Judge Dugan's "obstruction" changed nothing; right after the "obstruction," an agent rode the elevator down with the target.
Article I establishes the two houses of Congress and the powers and responsibilities of the body. Bondi doesn’t care; she just wants to get her cliche in.

Judge Dugan allegedly protected the defendant from detention by giving them sanctuary in her chambers.

Several witnesses report that ICE did not present a warrant before entering the courtroom and it is not clear whether ICE ever possessed or presented a judicial warrant. (2/6)
Reports are the judge confronted agents with this fact and directed them to the Chief Judge in the courthouse.

Further:
Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-19) issued the following statement:

“I commend Judge Hannah Dugan’s defense of due process by preventing ICE from shamefully using her courtroom as an ad hoc holding area for deportations. (3/6)
And:
We cannot have a functional legal system if people are justifiably afraid to show up for legal proceedings, especially when ICE agents have already repeatedly grabbed people off the street in retaliation for speech and free association, without even obtaining the proper warrants. (4/6)
More:
While the facts in this case are still unfolding, it’s clear that actions like Judge Dugan’s are what is required for democracy to survive the Trump Regime. She used her position of power and privilege to protect someone from an agency that has repeatedly abused its own power. (5/6)
Final :
If enough of us act similarly, and strategically, we can stand with our neighbors and build a better world together.” (6/6)
Asha Rangappa
Seeing claims about the judge "hiding" the defendant. Read the complaint, folks (written by DOJ). The guy was literally in the public area where the agents were. I guess he got on an elevator before they could get to him. The complaint says after letting the defendant exit she came back to the bench.

Yes, there was a DEA(!) agent on that elevator. And the defendant met two other agents when the doors opened (the DEA agent notified them). And yet he still ran the length of the courthouse and escaped out a door. He was pursued and captured on the street.  Sounds more like the agents obstructed each other. 

Further from Ms. Rangappa:

This criminal complaint seems pretty thin on the statutes charged. She allowed the defendant to leave the courtroom by a different door in her courtroom. The arresting agents literally saw him in the hallway right after going to elevator 1/
Second:
That hardly seems like “concealment,” and whether she obstructed would have to establish that she had corrupt intent in letting him exit out of a different door. Which, unless it was unlawful for her to do that, is her prerogative in her courtroom 2/
Third:
I think what a judge does within her lawful power within the four corners of her courtroom would be given great deference, and to inquire into motives would raise judicial immunity questions (the same way inquiring into POTUS’ motives for official acts raise immunity questions) 3/
Fourth
This also raises Tenth Amendment concerns. Of course federal law applies to state officials, but can they be compelled (commandeered) to go above and beyond and “facilitate” (😏) a federal arrest? Case law says no as applied to state law enforcement in other contexts 4/
Last:
I find it surprising that this would meet the Justice Manual’s standards for prosecution. Seems more like an attempt to intimidate state judges into caving into federal encroachment into their duties
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of concern with the DOJ manual in the DOJ at the moment. Or with ethical behavior: TPM:
In 2019, a Massachusetts state judge was indicted on obstruction charges over allegations of blocking ICE officials from taking custody of an undocumented citizen of the Dominican Republic. In that case, itself an extremely rare federal prosecution of a state judge over a decision related to the use of her office, the defendant was allowed to surrender. The DOJ dropped the charges in September 2022.
It languished, IOW, until the Biden DOJ dropped it. This case is unlikely to fare better.
These charges are so stupid. There was an ICE agent **in the elevator** with the defendant after he left the courtroom. But oh yeah, the state judge somehow obstructed ICE because she let the defendant leave the courtroom through a side entrance.

The Trump DOJ is run by morons and thugs.
To read the Criminal Complaint and attached FBI Affidavit that gave rise to Wisconsin State Judge Hannah Dugan’s federal criminal arrest today for obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States and concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest is at once to know to a certainty that neither the state courts nor the federal courts could ever even hope to administer justice if the spectacle that took place in Judge Dugan’s courthouse last Friday April 18 took place in the courthouses across the country.
Conclusion
On the facts as alleged by the FBI, it’s hard to imagine that the Federal Government could ever prove that Judge Dugan “obstructed or impeded a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States” within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. Section 1505
This is going to be another one they lose in court.

And yes, Pam Bondi should at least be investigated by the Florida (I presume) Bar.
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