More than 150 retired state and federal judges have signed a letter condemning the Trump Administration’s arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan and escalating threats against the judiciary. The letter, addressed to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, denounces recent actions as deliberate efforts to intimidate judges who have ruled against the administration.
The arrest of Judge Dugan—executed by the FBI inside her courthouse and publicized by the DOJ—was described as “a spectacle” aimed at sending a chilling message to the legal community. The judges argue that a summons would have sufficed and criticize the administration’s rhetoric, including public statements threatening prosecution of judges, even Supreme Court justices.
Signatories warn that such attacks erode the rule of law and public trust in the judiciary, emphasizing that judges serve the Constitution—not the president. They reject the label of being “deranged” for defending judicial independence, stating plainly: “That’s what makes us Americans.”