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Wadsack may face sanctions, contempt after missing court hearing in $8M federal suit
Former Republican state lawmaker Justine Wadsack could be charged with contempt of court and sanctioned after she failed to attend a federal court hearing on Tuesday, as part of her $8 million lawsuit against Tucson city officials and the Police Department.
Her attorney has attempted to drop her as a client, and Wadsack has repeatedly pushed back appearing in court. Tuesday, despite the federal judge in the case instructing that she was required to appear in person, the former Tucson state senator did not attend a scheduled 3 p.m. hearing.
Instead, as the hearing was being held, she tweeted that she had been "front & center" at a right-wing political event in Phoenix on Tuesday.
When Wadsack's lawyer couldn't explain to U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps why his client was not present during the hearing in Downtown Tucson, the judge indicated that she would order Wadsack to explain her absence. Zipps said Wadsack may face a contempt of court charge and sanctions for failing to appear.
Claims $8 million in damages
The former state senator alleged in a March suit that she suffered more than $8 million in damages due to an alleged conspiracy by Tucson police to target her over politics.
She cited reporting by the Tucson Sentinel in her suit, claiming TPD "leaked" video to the press and subjected her to "malicious prosecution."
Wadsack, through her attorney, said the Sentinel's exclusive report last July that broke the news the Republican lawmaker was being cited for criminal speeding included a "false" claim by a Tucson Police Department officer that Wadsack had said the charge was "political persecution."
While she in essence denies saying that last year, Wadsack's 20-page lawsuit, filed March 27, is filled with claims that city officials improperly targeted her for prosecution because of politics.
SEE??? This is what we get when a president promotes the false narrative that subpoenas aren't anything one need bother about. Especially if they are MAGA Hats.
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