More than 150 former state and federal judges have signed a letter to Pam Bondi, the attorney general, condemning the Trump administration’s escalating battles with the judiciary and calling the recent arrest of a sitting state court judge in Milwaukee an attempt to intimidate.
The judge, Hannah C. Dugan of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, was arrested by F.B.I. agents in April on charges of obstructing immigration agents. Judge Dugan is accused of directing an undocumented immigrant to leave through a side door in her courtroom while agents waited to arrest him.
The group of judges signing the letter was led by Nancy Gertner, a former federal judge , and J. Michael Luttig, a former assistant attorney general and federal judge. The former federal judges who signed the letter included those appointed by members of both political parties. Ms. Gertner was appointed by President Bill Clinton, and Mr. Luttig was appointed to both of his roles by President George H.W. Bush.
“The circumstances of Judge Dugan’s arrest make it clear that it was nothing but an effort to threaten and intimidate the state and federal judiciaries into submitting to the administration, instead of interpreting the Constitution and laws of the United States,” the letter said. “This cynical effort undermines the rule of law and destroys the trust the American people have in the nation’s judges to administer justice in the courtrooms and in the halls of justice across the land.”
On social media last month, Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, posted a picture of Judge Dugan in handcuffs, a move that the group of judges called “an embarrassing spectacle” that violated Justice Department policy.
Asked about the letter from the former judges, Chad Gilmartin, a spokesman for the Justice Department, referred to a video of Ms. Bondi commenting on Judge Dugan’s case last month.
“It doesn’t matter what line of work you are in, if you break the law, we will follow the facts and we will prosecute you,” Ms. Bondi said in the video.
The letter was supported by the nonprofit watchdog group Democracy Defenders Fund, which was founded by Norm Eisen, a former ethics official in the Obama administration.
“The attack on Judge Dugan is a shocking abuse of power. This isn’t just an attack on one person. It strikes at the heart of what it means to have an independent judiciary, which is why these over 150 judges are speaking out,” Mr. Eisen said.
The Society for the Rule of Law Institute, a group founded in 2023 by conservative and libertarian lawyers and judges, also supported the letter.
Last week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Judge Dugan from her position as a circuit judge while the case against her moves forward. In a two-page order, the court wrote that the suspension was necessary “in order to uphold the public’s confidence in the courts of this state.”
A preliminary hearing in Judge Dugan’s case is scheduled for May 15. In a statement, a lawyer for Judge Dugan said that she will “defend herself vigorously” and looks forward to being exonerated.
