Investigators say judge did not know about escape plan of migrant

Well, now I have heard it all.

After Judge Shelley Joseph appeared to help an illegal immigrant, she was charged and investigated for her role in an alleged escape plan.

Investigators are now claiming she was aloof of any plan that was in place.

Escaping

At the time, it was reported, “Prosecutors say on that April day in the Newton court, she and a defense attorney helped an undocumented immigrant facing drug charges slip out a back door of a courtroom to evade the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who was waiting for him just outside the front door.”

If she were to be convicted, she could have been sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.

Attorney Thomas Hoopes claimed, "This prosecution is absolutely political. Shelly Joseph is absolutely innocent."

Democrats and the media ripped the prosecution, claiming this was the “canary in the goldmine,” showing the warning that the federal government was overreaching its power.

DOJ Response

The Department of Justice held firm, claiming it had a clear case against Joseph.

Richard Frohling, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, stated, "Her state judicial post is not a license to engage in conduct that violates federal criminal law.”

Prosecutors argued, "Put simply, nothing in the indictment or the anticipated evidence at trial supports Dugan's assertion that agents 'disrupted' the court's docket; instead, all events arose from Dugan's unilateral, non-judicial, and unofficial actions in obstructing a federal immigration matter over which she, as a Wisconsin state judge, had no authority.”

I read everything I could find about this case, and there is no way I could be convinced that her actions were not purposeful, but investigators did not agree.

Aloof

When the case was initially announced, FBI Director Kash Patel had stated, “We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest. Thankfully, our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public.”

However, hearing officer Denis McInerney let the judge off the hook, telling the court, “I find that Judge Joseph did not know about — much less authorize — the escape plan, and did not mislead court authorities following the incident.” So, we are to believe that she just happened to suggest an alternative route out of the courtroom while immigration agents were waiting. Sounds reasonable...

He did, however, recommend a public reprimand, stating, “Moreover, because this proceeding has been public, and to ensure that there is no misunderstanding as to what Judge Joseph is — and is not — being reprimanded for, I recommend that the reprimand be public."

So, she will likely get a slap on the wrist and nothing more, with a radical judge once again not being held accountable for their actions. For all inents and purposes, this is an acquittal and she walks away with no repercussions.