MADISON – Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Walworth) released the following statement after Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was found guilty of obstructing federal immigration agents during an arrest:
“Last night a Milwaukee County Judge was convicted of a felony for obstructing the United States government. Judge Hannah Dugan, while wearing judicial robes of the State of Wisconsin, attempted to impede the lawful work of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
“Under Article XIII Section 3(2) of the Wisconsin Constitution, ‘[n]o person convicted of a felony, in any court within the United States, no person convicted in federal court of a crime designated, at the time of commission, under federal law as a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust and no person convicted, in a court of a state, of a crime designated, at the time of commission, under the law of the state as a misdemeanor involving a violation of public trust shall be eligible to any office of trust, profit or honor in this state unless pardoned of the conviction.’
“The last time a Wisconsin judge was impeached was in 1853. If Judge Dugan does not resign from her office immediately, the Assembly will begin impeachment proceedings.
“Under a 1976 Attorney General Opinion, Democrat Bronson La Follette stated that when a State Senator was convicted of a felony, a vacancy was created, and the Senator ‘was effectually divested of any right or title to the office. His status with reference to the office was fixed at the time of his conviction.’ 65 Atty. Gen. 264. Such is the case here, and Judge Dugan must recognize that the law requires her resignation.
“Wisconsinites deserve to know their judiciary is impartial and that justice is blind. Judge Hannah Dugan is neither, and her privilege of serving the people of Wisconsin has come to an end.”
