A Republican running for the Governor’s Council in Massachusetts is pledging to appoint judges and magistrates who promise to protect the public and cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers in criminal cases and challenged her Democratic opponent to do the same.
Anne Manning-Martin, a candidate for the Governor’s Council in the 5th district, invited her Democratic challenger, Eunice Zeigler, to take the same pledge when it comes to judge appointments, she announced in a press release emailed to The Epoch Times.
“The recent spate of activist judges ignoring ICE detailers and releasing dangerous criminal illegal immigrants directly into our communities demonstrate that these judges care more about preserving their political views rather than public safety, especially that of women and children, who have been the top target of murder and rape,” Manning-Martin said in the press release.
She cited several instances where judges were sympathetic to criminal illegal immigrants and assisted them in avoiding ICE.
“One need look no further than the judge who snuck a criminal illegal alien out the courthouse back door while ICE was coming in the front door, the Nantucket judge who released alleged child rapists defying ICE detainer warrants, or the judge who set an alleged child rapist’s bail at $500 so that he would be one step ahead of ICE, who took months to catch him. All of the victims? Women and children,” Manning-Martin said.
In response, Zeigler told The Epoch Times in an email she is running to “leverage my 15+ years in public service and community engagement to help bring more transparency to the office and resources to the district.”
“I will only support judges that uphold the Constitution. Doing otherwise could prove unconstitutional and illegal. Furthermore, it would go against the Governor’s Council’s main duties to protect the judicial system,” she said.
Zeigler is a Methuen city councilor who established the Economic Development Committee, founded the Methuen Day celebration and “championed a diversity and inclusion policy for the City,” according to her biography on her website. She also worked at the city of Haverhill’s Community Development Department and currently works at the YWCA.
Manning-Martin, a Peabody city councilor, is the deputy superintendent for the Department of Correction and has served for eight years as a member of the Peabody School Committee, according to her biography. She advocated for full-day public kindergarten and full-time nurses in every school in the state. As a city councilor, she said she has been a defender of the taxpayer and a fiscal watchdog who fights for transparency in government.
Both women have received several endorsements.
Zeigler recently was endorsed by Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger who said in a press release emailed to The Epoch Times: “Eunice Zeigler is a thoughtful leader who will work tirelessly to represent District 5 and beyond. She will bring the trusted leadership that we need on the Governor’s Council.”
“She will approve judges that will uphold the law and support the work that law enforcement does to keep communities safe,” Coppinger said.
Manning-Martin was recently endorsed by the Teamsters Local Union No. 25, which represents over 13,000 members in Eastern Massachusetts. Thomas Mari, the president/principal officer of the union wrote an endorsement letter to Manning-Marin, saying he looks forward to continuing to work on important local and statewide issues.
The Governor’s Council in Massachusetts is also called the Executive Council, and eight individuals serve for two-year terms and give advice on pardons, commutations, and gubernatorial appointments such as judges, magistrates, public administrators among other duties.
