Senator Padilla’s Statement on the Arrest of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan

SACRAMENTO –Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) released the following statement today following the Federal Bureau of Investigation announcing the arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan:

“Democracy is under attack in America. This latest demonstration of authoritarian overreach undermines the judiciary as a coequal branch of government and disregards the rule of law. This arrest is another example of the Trump Administration attempting to intimidate and silence those that speak up and push back against their unlawful playbook and continued disrespect for the Constitution.

America was built on the core principle of the right to due process and a fair trial. These attacks on our justice system and the judges that uphold it do nothing but tear down the very foundations of what is most important to our country — those unalienable rights. We must not and will not stay silent as this President and his dictatorial ambitions try to take us back to the Dark Ages.”

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Steve Padilla represents the 18th Senate District, which includes the communities of Chula Vista, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Beach, the Imperial Valley, National City, and San Diego. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2022, Senator Padilla was the first person of color ever elected to city office in Chula Vista, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. Website of Senator Steve Padilla: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/