Judge's arrest in immigration conflict echoes 2018 incident during Trump's tenure
In 2018, a Massachusetts judge faced allegations of assisting an undocumented migrant in escaping from a courthouse.
TroibNews 
FBI Director Kash Patel’s announcement on Friday regarding the arrest of a judge over an immigration dispute represents a remarkable turn in the Trump administration's ongoing clash with the judiciary, echoing a similar incident from President Donald Trump’s first term.
In 2018, Massachusetts state District Court Judge Shelley Joseph and a court officer faced allegations of assisting an undocumented immigrant in escaping from the Newton District Court in Newton, Massachusetts, prior to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer being able to detain him. The man had been arrested on narcotics charges and had previously been deported from the U.S. on two occasions, according to prosecutors.
Following these allegations, Joseph was indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice, to which she pleaded not guilty.
At the time of the charges against Joseph, then-state Attorney General Maura Healey, now the Democratic governor of Massachusetts, described the situation as “a radical and politically motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts.”
Joseph’s attorney, Thomas Hoopes, accused then-U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling of exhibiting “political bias” in court documents, referencing a Boston Herald op-ed he penned and alleging that Lelling leaked confidential information to the media.
In a notable difference from the recent case, Joseph willingly surrendered to authorities, and in 2022, federal prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges against her. Instead, Joseph was referred to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct, tasked with investigating misconduct among judges.
Late last year, the commission took the unusual step of filing formal charges against Joseph with the state’s highest court, a move that has only occurred five times since 2000.
The Wisconsin judge arrested on Friday, Hannah Dugan, faces felony charges of obstruction and concealing a person from arrest. Similar to Joseph, she is accused of aiding an undocumented immigrant in evading arrest, with federal authorities claiming she directed agents away from her courtroom and subsequently escorted the immigrant out through a private exit.
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers criticized the Trump administration for efforts that he sees as attempts to “undermine our judiciary at every level, including flat-out disobeying the highest court in the land and threatening to impeach and remove judges who do not rule in their favor.”
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
In 2018, Massachusetts state District Court Judge Shelley Joseph and a court officer faced allegations of assisting an undocumented immigrant in escaping from the Newton District Court in Newton, Massachusetts, prior to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer being able to detain him. The man had been arrested on narcotics charges and had previously been deported from the U.S. on two occasions, according to prosecutors.
Following these allegations, Joseph was indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice, to which she pleaded not guilty.
At the time of the charges against Joseph, then-state Attorney General Maura Healey, now the Democratic governor of Massachusetts, described the situation as “a radical and politically motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts.”
Joseph’s attorney, Thomas Hoopes, accused then-U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling of exhibiting “political bias” in court documents, referencing a Boston Herald op-ed he penned and alleging that Lelling leaked confidential information to the media.
In a notable difference from the recent case, Joseph willingly surrendered to authorities, and in 2022, federal prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges against her. Instead, Joseph was referred to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct, tasked with investigating misconduct among judges.
Late last year, the commission took the unusual step of filing formal charges against Joseph with the state’s highest court, a move that has only occurred five times since 2000.
The Wisconsin judge arrested on Friday, Hannah Dugan, faces felony charges of obstruction and concealing a person from arrest. Similar to Joseph, she is accused of aiding an undocumented immigrant in evading arrest, with federal authorities claiming she directed agents away from her courtroom and subsequently escorted the immigrant out through a private exit.
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers criticized the Trump administration for efforts that he sees as attempts to “undermine our judiciary at every level, including flat-out disobeying the highest court in the land and threatening to impeach and remove judges who do not rule in their favor.”
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
