Over 150 retired judges from across the United States wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi. In the letter, they strongly criticized the Trump administration for trying to bully and scare judges into doing what it wants. These judges believe that these scare tactics will not work, and they are speaking out to protect the independence of the courts.
The letter mainly focuses on what happened to Judge Hannah Dugan from Milwaukee County. Recently, she was arrested right in her own courtroom. The FBI Director, Kash Patel, claimed that Judge Dugan helped an undocumented immigrant avoid being caught. He even posted a photo of her being led away in handcuffs on social media something that’s usually done to embarrass people.
The retired judges said this arrest was not about justice it was about sending a warning to other judges. They believe it was meant to scare judges into obeying the Trump administration, instead of doing their real job: following the law and the Constitution. The judges said there was no real reason to arrest Dugan so publicly. If there was a legal issue, they could have simply asked her to appear in court, like they usually do in non-violent or white-collar cases.
The letter also responded to something Pam Bondi said on Fox News. She called judges like Dugan “deranged,” which means mentally unstable. The retired judges were offended by this. They said standing up to abuse of power doesn’t make someone crazy it makes them a responsible American who cares about justice.
In that same interview, Bondi also warned that more judges could be arrested. She said that anyone helping undocumented immigrants or gang members no matter who they are would be found and prosecuted. This, again, felt like a threat aimed at judges.
The letter was organized by two respected former judges: Nancy Gertner, who used to be a federal judge, and J. Michael Luttig, who was also a federal judge and former assistant attorney general. Judges from both political parties Democrats and Republicans signed the letter. This shows that defending the courts is not about politics. It’s about protecting the rule of law.
At the end of the letter, the former judges made it clear: no matter how hard Trump and his allies try to scare the courts, they will not succeed. The American people know that judges are supposed to defend the Constitution and apply the law fairly. That job belongs to the courts — not to the president.
