The judicial resistance fails again

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Do you recall Hannah Dugan? She’s a former Milwaukee County Judge. “Former” because she, with the help of her staff, distracted ICE agents who were present to arrest and deport a violent illegal alien in her court on unrelated charges. They snuck the illegal out of the courthouse.

The agents didn’t disrupt her court. They were waiting until she was done with the illegal, who had been previously deported but reentered the country. They politely informed her of their authority and intentions and were waiting for her disposition of the illegal.

Fortunately, the agents knew what she was doing and captured the illegal after a brief foot chase. Dugan was charged and convicted, though not without substantial support from equally corrupt members of the “judicial resistance” Bar:

Graphic: X Post

Amazingly, that view of judicial immunity didn't hold up and she was removed from the bench, which, considering she was facing a federal felony, seems reasonable. Dugan appealed, and her appeal was recently denied, which opens the way for her sentencing, which has been on hold. She faces up to five years in prison.

One would think other members of the judicial community would learn from Dugan’s “resistance.” However, as John Belushi used to quip: “But nooooooooooooo!” This time, the illegal hiders were in Utah:

Two former Utah court clerks have been arrested and charged after federal prosecutors alleged they used their positions inside a courthouse to help an illegal immigrant avoid a lawful arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday charges Jennifer Joma, 27, and Lauren Kelsey Morrow, 26, with conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens, and obstruction of proceedings before federal agencies. Joma also faces a separate charge of transporting illegal aliens.
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The incident occurred on April 9 at the Logan City Municipal Justice Court in Utah, where both women worked as court clerks. An ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer entered the courthouse to arrest an illegal immigrant who was scheduled to appear for a hearing that day. After entering the courthouse, the officer left the secure area and waited in his car outside for his target to exit before attempting the arrest.

The two court clerks stopped several illegal aliens from leaving the building. Collecting the illegal the ICE agent was there to detain, and the other illegals, they guided them through secure hallways and out the back door of the courthouse, out of view of the ICE agent. In this case, no judge was apparently involved. They shut the door to the judge’s chambers to keep him from seeing what they were doing.

The government was apparently able to reconstruct what happened by viewing courthouse surveillance video:

The Justice Department described the alleged conduct in blunt terms:

“This case is about some state court clerks who abused their position of trust and took the law into their own hands by helping an illegal alien evade a lawful arrest by ICE.”

Federal prosecutors further alleged:

“Acting as self-appointed anti-ICE vigilantes, Lauren Morrow, her co-defendant Joma and others took it upon themselves to obstruct immigration proceedings and the lawful enforcement of United States immigration laws.”

The indictment states that surveillance footage captured the pair after one of the alleged trips through the courthouse. Prosecutors say the women were seen waving and smiling at a security camera, while Morrow allegedly made an obscene gesture toward it. Investigators also allege that Joma later drove three illegal immigrants away from the courthouse before returning to work.

Joma and Morrow resigned after their arrests and are facing up to 25 years in prison. Under the Biden Administration, Dugan, Joma and Morrow would surely have never been charged, but there’s a new sheriff in town:

John Huber, the ex-US Attorney for Utah, said the plot was the first he’s seen in the state.

“This is a time when people are on edge wherever you are on the political spectrum, and this issue of immigration enforcement gets people’s attention,” he told KUTV.

“I think a lesson to be learned here is that federal authorities are serious and that it’s no laughing matter to engage in conduct that rises to the level of a federal felony. This is not a joke.”

Hannah Dugan, Jennifer Joma and Lauren Morrow are presumably realizing that. Whether the rest of the “judicial resistance” will pay attention is anyone’s guess, but finding that people sworn to uphold our system of justice aren’t always above it is encouraging.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, lifelong athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer, and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.