Sifting through spin about federal judge’s arrest

Jim Geraghty of National Review Online explores the facts surrounding the high-profile arrest of a federal judge who helped an illegal immigrant evade arrest.

From the moment Judge [Hannah] Dugan learned that ICE agents were in the courthouse, she apparently insisted they did not have the authority to arrest Flores-Ruiz:

Judge DUGAN and Judge A, who were both wearing judicial robes, approached members of the arrest team in the public hallway. Judge A’s courtroom is located adjacent to Judge DUGAN’s courtroom. Witnesses uniformly reported that Judge DUGAN was visibly upset and had a confrontational, angry demeanor. Judge DUGAN addressed Deportation Officer A and asked if Deportation Officer A was present for a court appearance. When Deportation Officer A responded, “no,” Judge DUGAN stated that Deportation Officer A would need to leave the courthouse. …

… The ICE team has the green light, and there is no indication that there is anything improper or illegal about the impending arrest. But by that point, according to witnesses, Judge Dugan was already attempting to get Flores-Ruiz out of the building, past the federal agents who intended to arrest him. …

… Despite having been advised of the administrative warrant for the arrest of Flores-Ruiz, Judge DUGAN then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel out of the courtroom through the “jury door,” which leads to a nonpublic area of the courthouse. These events were also unusual for two reasons. First, the courtroom deputy had previously heard Judge DUGAN direct people not to sit in the jury box because it was exclusively for the jury’s use. Second, according to the courtroom deputy, only deputies, juries, court staff, and in-custody defendants being escorted by deputies used the back jury door. Defense attorneys and defendants who were not in custody never used the jury door. …

… Let’s not forget, this isn’t just an illegal immigrant; this is a guy facing three charges of domestic battery. If this account is accurate, Dugan is helping Flores-Ruiz skip out on a court appearance in front of her. To hell with those pending battery and domestic abuse charges, apparently.