ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday found the Florida Attorney General was in civil contempt over her sentence that puts a new state law on hold that misdemeanor for those living in order to illegally enter the state in the United States.
US District Judge Kathleen Williams said Florida Attorney General James Usmierer was unconvinced by his argument that he had put the law on hold and not humiliated her injunction. Uthmeier had sent me a note saying that the judge was legally wrong and could not prevent police and deputies from enforcing the law. A light empty hearing was held in Miami two weeks ago.
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“Legends cannot change the obvious meaning of words that suit them, especially when communicating a clear, clear order in court,” Williams writes. “Filility to the rule of law cannot have any other meaning.”
For sanctions, the judge ordered Uthmeier to submit a biweekly report to her about whether an arrest, detention or law enforcement lawsuit was filed under law challenged by immigration rights groups.
In a social media post, Uthmeier said, “If being lightly emptying costs money to protect the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration.”
A day ago, the judge refused to request that the initial injunction be held up while Uthmeier was appealed. The injunction prohibits law enforcement from enforcing immigration laws.
Williams’ decision denied a similar request from Uthmeier following the ruling of the 11th Circuit’s Court of Appeals earlier this month. The appeals judge said the case had not been resolved.
“However, the burden of this attitude is that the Attorney General makes a “strong suggestion” that he is likely to succeed in merit. And I don’t think he will be inclined to balance in his favor,” the judge wrote, pointing to Williams’ “seemly rebellious attitude” that Usmeyer’s “seemly rebellious attitude” about Williams’ previous order.
After Williams issued the original order, Usmeyer sent a note to state and local law enforcement officials who have ordered them to refrain from enforcing the law despite opposing the injunction. But five days later he sent a note saying that the judge was legally wrong and could not prevent police and deputies from enforcing the law.
“I’ll repeat, he may be right that the district court order is unacceptable,” the appeal judge said of Usmeyer. “But that doesn’t justify what appears to have been a veiled threat of not following it at least.”
