The State Journal reports that the judge's words and order have fallen on deaf elephant ears:
"Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said Wednesday he has a legal obligation to implement all laws passed by the Legislature, signed by Gov. Scott Walker and published into law. Huebsch said the Department of Justice and his own legal counsel, a team of DOA attorneys, agree the measure has met those requirements "and is now effective law."But Dane County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi had said from the bench earlier this week when re-issuing her injunction and spelling it out in plain English:
"'It is my duty to administer that law," he said."
"Now that I've made my earlier order as clear as it possibly can be, I must state that those who act in open and willful defiance of the court order place not only themselves at peril of sanctions, they also jeopardize the financial and the governmental stability of the state of Wisconsin."I think DOA Secretary Huebsch, et al, want Judge Maryann Sumi to cite them so they can play the victim card (just the way that Supreme Court Justice David Prosser has painted himself as the ultimate judicial system victim at the hands of the mean Chief Justice whom he cursed and threatened) - - and run out and raise money and tell the tale of the mean activist, Democrat (sic) judge who also eats organic food.
But both the state DOA and Justice Departments are behaving with contemptibly, so Judge Sumi should haul them into her court, cite them and restore order in the court.
She should haul them into court for contempt if she had any legal foot to stand on. But she doesn't. So she can't. And she won't.
ReplyDeleteIt's anyone's guess as to why Wisconsin Republicans decided to suddenly change their minds and comply with the court order. Maybe they concluded their poll numbers had dropped far enough, and provoking a Constitutional crisis would be too politically damaging. Maybe their lawyers concluded they did not actually have a strong case for ignoring the court order, and as such actually grew worried about being found in contempt of court. Whatever their rationale, they appear to have stepped back from the brink. At least for now.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is this---If walker’s policies worked for the GOOD of most, not even all Wisconsinites, they wouldn't have to resort to subterfuge, middle of the night Shady Maneuvers, loopholes, and DEFYING court orders to pass bills. Just as walker woke up a sleeping and now hungry giant, fitzy has gone further and gave it food and made it stronger!!
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