TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — There was a surprise in Federal Court Tuesday afternoon in former State Senator Justine Wadsack’s civil suit that claims political persecution by the City of Tucson. She was supposed to explain to the Judge why she’s having trouble holding onto an attorney. But Wadsack did not show up for the hearing.
Because she did not appear in Federal Court as ordered Federal Judge Jennifer Zipps is waiting for an explanation on why she should not cite Wadsack for contempt of court.
William Fischbach, serving as Wadsack’s attorney while the representation matter is resolved, told Judge Zipps that Wadsack had been told to attend the hearing but he did not have an explanation of why she was not in court.
Wadsack filed her lawsuit in late March. In the roughly five months since then she’s gone through two attorneys. One switched law firms, about two weeks later another attorney asked to withdraw for professional reasons.
Wadsack’s claim of political persecution is based on police body cam video from March of last year. It shows a Tucson Police officer talking to Wadsack after he pulls her over.
She tells him she is a state senator rushing to get home before the battery dies on her electric car.
He tells her she was driving down Speedway doing 71 in a 35 zone.
She denies it. He says he saw it on radar.
State lawmakers are immune from prosecution for minor offenses when the legislature is in session. Wadsack argued that means permanent immunity. The city says that means police just had to wait until the session ended so they waited four months to write her up.
Reporters found out about this and reported it. Wadsack claimed it was an effort to torpedo her re election and she did lose the Republican primary.
After a few court sessions the city dismissed the speeding charge when Wadsack went to traffic school.
The City of Tucson calls Wadsack’s discrimination suit a political charade and says she will not find anything in the law that says cities can’t ticket state lawmakers, and tell journalists about it. If they ask.
