Latest news with #indictment
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
More than 130 former judges blast Judge Hannah Dugan's indictment as ‘egregious overreach'
Over 130 former state and federal judges are urging the government to drop its charges against Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, dubbing her indictment an 'egregious overreach' by the executive branch. The Wisconsin judge was indicted in April after being accused of helping an undocumented migrant flee arrest at her courthouse last month. She faces federal charges of obstructing or impeding a proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest — charges that carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $350,000 fine. She has pleaded not guilty. A group of 138 former judges filed an amicus brief in the case Friday, urging the government to dismiss the charges and warning that Dugan's indictment 'threatens to undermine centuries of precedent on judicial immunity, crucial for an effective judiciary.' The case 'represents an extraordinary and direct assault on the independence of the entire judicial system,' the former judges wrote. 'Permitting the prosecution of a state circuit court judge for conduct falling squarely within her rightful exercise of judicial discretion establishes a dangerous precedent that will chill judicial decision-making at every level.' The group argued that 'as a judge, she is entitled to absolute immunity for her official acts; this bar on prosecution is the same absolute immunity that is given to members of the legislative and executive branches for their actions taken in an official capacity.' Dugan's lawyers argued similarly when they filed a motion to dismiss the case this month. Her attorneys cited Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court ruling that determined presidents were immune from criminal prosecution for official acts. 'Judges are entitled to absolute immunity for their judicial acts, without regard to the motive with which those acts are allegedly performed,' her lawyers argued. Judges can make mistakes, the group acknowledged, but those mistakes are redressed in the judicial branch. 'When judges are alleged to have gotten something wrong or have abused authority dedicated exclusively to the judiciary, it falls exclusively to the judiciary, not prosecutors, to investigate the purported mistake through the appellate process or judicial misconduct proceedings,' they wrote. The 138 retired judges also blasted the indictment as an 'egregious overreach by the executive branch threatens public trust in the judicial system and the ability of the public to avail themselves of courthouses without fear of reprisal.' After her initial appearance in court on April 25, she was released from detention. However, the state's supreme court suspended her from the bench days later. 'It is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties,' the state supreme court wrote in an April 29 order. Friday's amicus brief came weeks after 150 former judges wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi following Dugan's arrest. They slammed Bondi for calling judges 'deranged' on April 25, the day of Dugan's arrest. That same day, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo of the judge in handcuffs on his official social media account, writing: 'No one is above the law.' The Trump administration has repeatedly attacked judges, with the president himself even calling for one to be impeached in a social media post. The post prompted Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare statement: "For more than two centuries it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreements concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
More than 130 former judges blast Judge Hannah Dugan's indictment as ‘egregious overreach'
Over 130 former state and federal judges are urging the government to drop its charges against Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, dubbing her indictment an 'egregious overreach' by the executive branch. The Wisconsin judge was indicted in April after being accused of helping an undocumented migrant flee arrest at her courthouse last month. She faces federal charges of obstructing or impeding a proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest — charges that carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $350,000 fine. She has pleaded not guilty. A group of 138 former judges filed an amicus brief in the case Friday, urging the government to dismiss the charges and warning that Dugan's indictment 'threatens to undermine centuries of precedent on judicial immunity, crucial for an effective judiciary.' The case 'represents an extraordinary and direct assault on the independence of the entire judicial system,' the former judges wrote. 'Permitting the prosecution of a state circuit court judge for conduct falling squarely within her rightful exercise of judicial discretion establishes a dangerous precedent that will chill judicial decision-making at every level.' The group argued that 'as a judge, she is entitled to absolute immunity for her official acts; this bar on prosecution is the same absolute immunity that is given to members of the legislative and executive branches for their actions taken in an official capacity.' Dugan's lawyers argued similarly when they filed a motion to dismiss the case this month. Her attorneys cited Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court ruling that determined presidents were immune from criminal prosecution for official acts. 'Judges are entitled to absolute immunity for their judicial acts, without regard to the motive with which those acts are allegedly performed,' her lawyers argued. Judges can make mistakes, the group acknowledged, but those mistakes are redressed in the judicial branch. 'When judges are alleged to have gotten something wrong or have abused authority dedicated exclusively to the judiciary, it falls exclusively to the judiciary, not prosecutors, to investigate the purported mistake through the appellate process or judicial misconduct proceedings,' they wrote. The 138 retired judges also blasted the indictment as an 'egregious overreach by the executive branch threatens public trust in the judicial system and the ability of the public to avail themselves of courthouses without fear of reprisal.' After her initial appearance in court on April 25, she was released from detention. However, the state's supreme court suspended her from the bench days later. 'It is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties,' the state supreme court wrote in an April 29 order. Friday's amicus brief came weeks after 150 former judges wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi following Dugan's arrest. They slammed Bondi for calling judges 'deranged' on April 25, the day of Dugan's arrest. That same day, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo of the judge in handcuffs on his official social media account, writing: 'No one is above the law.' The Trump administration has repeatedly attacked judges, with the president himself even calling for one to be impeached in a social media post. The post prompted Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare statement: "For more than two centuries it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreements concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Madison County Schools System employee indicted on sex charges involving student
MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A Madison County grand jury indicted a former Madison County Schools System employee on multiple sex charges involving a minor student. Court documents show Makayla Anderton was charged with the following: A school employee distributing obscene material to a student Second-degree rape Second-degree sodomy School employee engaged in a sex act or deviant sexual intercourse with a student under the age of 19 years Anderton was 26 years old at the time of her arrest in April 2024, and investigators said the student was 15. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Camilla mayor arrested, charged with election interference
CAMILLA – Three city of Camilla officials, including Mayor Kelvin Owens, Election Superintendent Rhunette Williford and City Clerk Cheryl Ford, were arrested on Wednesday on election interference and other charges, the same day a Mitchell County Grand Jury returned an indictment against them. The Grand Jury handed down the 13-count indictment on Wednesday in relation to a November special election for an unexpired Camilla City Council seat that was ultimately won by council member Azalee Vereen. The arrests follow a lengthy legal case over two former city council members who were ruled ineligible to serve because they could not prove they were residents of Camilla. No bond hearing had been held in the case as of Thursday afternoon, and all three suspects remained at the Mitchell County Jail as of noon. The November election was a memorable one for residents as it saw polls remain open until 4 a.m. on Nov. 5. The special election initially was cancelled following the resignations of Ford and Williford on the previous day, leaving no one to open the polling place in downtown Camilla. However, a judge appointed new election workers on Election Day, and the polls opened shortly before 4 p.m., remaining open for the required 12 hours. The Nov. 4 general election was held separately from the city special election and was unaffected by the snafu with the city. In the first count of the indictment, Owens is charged with interference with elections. The mayor is accused of 'willfully (attempting) to prevent a poll officer from holding an election' by instructing the city's police chief to post officers outside the polling place to prevent poll officers and voters from entering the building, according to the indictment. Owens also is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud. In those indictments, he is accused of conspiring with Ford and Williford. In furthering this conspiracy, the indictment said, Owens canceled the election during a Nov. 4 meeting, instructed employees to remove election signage indicating where polls were located and personally placed a sign at the polling place announcing the cancellation. Ford was indicted on three counts of interference with elections, conspiracy to commit election fraud and two counts of failure of a public officer to perform their duty. She is accused of resigning her position the day prior to the election in order to prevent voting from occurring, attempting to prevent a poll officer from holding an election and of failing to post signage stating that any ballots cast for Ventarra Pollard would not be counted due to his ineligibility to run for office in the city. Pollard, along with former council member Corey Morgan, were initially ruled ineligible to run for office in July 2023 by a senior Superior Court judge from outside the South Georgia Judicial Circuit, a decision that was upheld in 2024 by the Georgia Court of Appeals. Williford was indicted on two counts of interference with elections, conspiracy to commit election fraud and failure of a public officer to perform her duties. She is accused of resigning her position the day prior to the election in order to prevent poll workers and voters from entering the polling place and in furtherance of the conspiracy to prevent the election from proceeding as scheduled. The investigation was initiated at the request of South Georgia Judicial Circuit Judge Joseph Mulhollaind on Dec. 2, 2024, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced in a press release on Thursday. The agency presented its investigative findings to Mulholland's office prior to the district attorney's presentation of the case to the Grand Jury. During a previous interview with The Albany Herald, Owens said that he, Pollard and Morgan, along with council member Raimond Burley, represented the city's 'first progressive black voting block' and that this had upset some within the city. Two Camilla residents filed a lawsuit in November 2022 challenging the residency of Pollard and Morgan.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Charlotte councilwoman Tiawana Brown largely avoids discussing indictment at town hall
Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown largely avoided discussing her federal fraud charges Wednesday in a town hall meeting — her second time facing constituents since being indicted. It took two hours for the indictment to come up during the event at the Good Shepard Church in the Steele Creek area. Instead, the vast majority of the town hall featured presentations from city staff on issues ranging from crime statistics to traffic and infrastructure. About 30 minutes of questions from attendees lined up at microphones followed, but no one asked about the charges. Only in her closing remarks did Brown allude to her situation, calling the last six days some of the most difficult of her life. Brown and her adult daughters, Tijema Brown and Antionette Rouse, were indicted last week on charges of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud. Charlotte's U.S. attorney alleged they falsified loan applications for federal pandemic relief funds and spent loan money on personal expenses, including a lavish birthday party for Brown. They all pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance Friday, and she's pledged to stay in office and run for reelection. The 53-year-old Democrat is in her first term in office representing west Charlotte's District 3. She's the first formerly incarcerated person to serve on the Charlotte City Council. Wednesday's event marked one of Brown's first public appearances since the indictment. She spoke briefly to reporters while leaving court Friday and attended Monday's City Council meeting. The latter was her first time publicly facing constituents, and she spoke sparingly and declined to talk to reporters. At Wednesday's town hall, Brown largely served as a moderator. During the question and answer portion, where constituents primarily focused on the impacts of growth on District 3's infrastructure, Brown deferred to staff or offered to follow up with residents individually to provide a more detailed answer to their questions. Attendees at the meeting did not appear to have their questions pre-screened. In her closing remarks to the crowd, Brown said 'nothing has changed' and asked for prayers for her family. 'I'm committed to this community,' she said. '... I will continue to show up and do the work that I was elected by you to do. It's not my seat — it's your seat.' Brown then shook hands and exchanged hugs with some in the crowd. She told reporters as she left the event she wasn't surprised by the lack of questions from attendees about her indictment. 'They care about my service. They care about me as a human being,' she said. But some in the audience, including resident Christina Syndergaard, said getting clarity about the indictment was part of why they came out Wednesday evening. 'I don't know a ton about it, but what I do know is I'd like to see all the details that (prosecutors) have, what kind of incriminating evidence they have against her,' she said. Syndergaard, who voted for Brown in 2023, said she didn't feel like Brown did 'a good job' addressing the indictment during the town hall and wondered why no one asked about the case. She wanted to see the council member take a more direct approach to the issue. 'Be upfront about it,' she said. '... It didn't feel super transparent to me.' Observer reporter Desiree Mathurin contributed to this story.
