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Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Outside courthouse, supporters call Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest a 'constitutional crisis'
Local elected officials, faith leaders and immigrant advocates called Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest the beginning of a constitutional crisis and framed it as a defining moment in U.S. history. Her supporters pled for felony charges to be dropped at a press conference outside the county courthouse April 28, where Dugan was arrested by federal authorities April 25 for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in her courtroom. In a brief interview with the Journal Sentinel before the press conference, Milwaukee County Board first vice-chair Steven Shea asserted the Trump administration intentionally cracked down on a judge in Wisconsin, the "most purple of states." "They could not have picked a worse possible judge, because she will stand up for the constitution, due process, the rule of law, every step of the way," Shea said. Dugan's arrest has reached news outlets like BBC and The Irish Times, and it should be considered international news, Shea said. "This is a pivotal moment in American history." Other speakers during the hour-long press conference, including state Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, called Dugan's arrest a sign of a constitutional crisis in which the Trump administration is no longer respecting the checks and balances of the judicial branch. "When they went ahead and put the handcuffs on our good friend Hannah Dugan, they put handcuffs on the judiciary," Carpenter said. Republicans in Wisconsin signaled they may act to remove Dugan through an impeachment proceeding. Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August, R-Walworth, said charges against Dugan are "serious, deeply troubling, and strike at the core of public trust." "I would advise everyone to cooperate with federal law enforcement and not endanger them and the public by obstructing their efforts to arrest criminals and illegal aliens," U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said previously in a statement to the Journal Sentinel. More: Politicians, lawyers and more react to arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, said he texted Dugan Monday and she responded that she's "doing okay." Larson described Dugan as soft-spoken, Catholic-adhering and "the person who's going to bring the best dish at the potluck." He said she sends celebratory emails on Constitution Day and Bill of Rights Day. Dugan, 65, is scheduled for a May 15 preliminary hearing. Her case will eventually go before a grand jury. As of April 28, Dugan's cases are being handled by David Feiss, a reserve judge and former prosecutor in Milwaukee County. The two charges against Dugan — obstructing a U.S. agency and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest — carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $350,000 fine, though sentences in nonviolent offenses are usually much shorter. More: Read the charges against Judge Dugan, arrested by FBI in ICE case More: What's next in Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan's case? This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Advocates call Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest a 'constitutional crisis'
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
On this date: 36 Ballots later…
WASHINGTON D.C. (WHTM) — The Presidential election in 1800 was a bit of a mess. In the first two elections in 1789 and 1792, George Washington was chosen easily because, hey, he was George Washington. But the election of 1796 revealed a flaw in the Constitution. Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution establishes the office of the President, and details the procedure for selecting the President by the Electoral College. It states the Electors would 'vote by Ballot for two Persons.' It goes on to say, 'The person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President,' and 'after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Elector shall be Vice President.' September 28, 1787: The new Constitution goes to the states The Founding Fathers had a dim view of organized political parties, and this arrangement reflects that view. It tries to get the best people to serve despite partisan politics. But like it or not, parties formed, and by the 1796 election John Adams was in the Federalist camp, and Thomas Jefferson was with the Democratic-Republicans. (Short synopsis, the Federalists favored a strong Federal government, Democratic-Republicans wanted more power on the State level. We're still trying to work this one out.) When the votes were counted, John Adams was President, and his leading opponent, Thomas Jefferson, was his Vice President (neither side had nominated a candidate for Vice-President.) On this day: It's Bill of Rights Day! By the 1800 election, which pitted Adams and Jefferson against each other for a second time, both parties were pretty much solidified, and neither wanted a repeat of 1796. Both fielded blocks of electors and had candidates for both offices. Adams had Charles C. Pinckney as a running mate; Jefferson had Aaron Burr. When the electoral votes were counted, Adams lost to Jefferson 65 to 73, and Pinckney lost to Burr 64 to – whoops! – 73. That's right, the two Democratic-Republicans were tied for first place. February 4, 1789: The first Electoral College meets At this point, under the rules laid out in the Constitution, it fell to the House of Representatives to choose a winner. The fact Jefferson had been specifically nominated for President, and Burr for Vice-President, had no legal bearing on the matter. On February 11, 1801, the House met to choose the next President. Thus began an epic deadlock. In 1801, there were 16 states. Under the rules laid out in the Constitution, each state had one vote. The Democratic-Republicans, of course, voted for Jefferson as President. But the Federalists, who despised Jefferson for helping found the Democratic-Republican party, voted for Burr. As a result, Jefferson got only eight votes, one short of the majority he needed. And this went on through 35 ballots. On this date: Congress passes the 13th Amendment Enter Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was one of the founders of the Federalist Party, but had no love for Aaron Burr. (The feeling was mutual. They finally settled matters in 1804.) Hamilton began to work behind the scenes for Jefferson's election, considering him the lesser of two evils. He persuaded several representatives to change their votes from Burr to 'no vote,' and on February 17, 1801, the 36th and final ballot would give the election to Jefferson. On this date: 25th Amendment Ratified You can read the entire 12th Amendment, click here. This nasty debacle convinced Congress the method of electing President and Vice President had to change. On December 9, 1803, Congress passed the 12th Amendment, which required the Electoral College to hold two votes, one for President, and one for Vice President. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
