A federal judge in Maine said he was forced by their code of ethics and rejected himself from the incident filed by Maine GOP Rep. Laurel Libby.
Libby of R-Bangor is challenging her condemnation in the state legislature. It was issued against transgender athletes competing in women's high school sports.
A US District Court judge for the Main District, the state's only federal district, announced Wednesday that they would all reject themselves from Libby's case and force them to move to court in Rhode Island. The judge initially gave no reason to explain the massive recusality, but Prime Minister Lancewalker said in a statement Wednesday evening that it was the result of a potential conflict of interest.
“The Main District judges independently concluded that because Main District employees were involved or directly affected in the controversy underlying this case, they were forced by the United States judges to reject themselves,” Walker said. “The case remains in the main district, but has been specially assigned to judges in the Rhode Island area.”
Trump administrator cuts funding to the University of Maine as state violates an order banning trans athletes from women's sports
Maine Sen. Laurel Libby has warned against state rebellion in President Donald Trump's executive order calling for an end to biological men competing in women's sports. (Getty/Maine House of Representatives)
Walker's explanation shed some light on the reasons behind popular meditation, but failed to identify the exact nature of the conflict of interest. A Fox News digital analysis of public records shows athletes at the heart of Libby's accusation lawsuit that were filed after posting photos of competing athletes before the transition – sharing their last name with someone who works in the US District Court system in the Main District.
“We're excited to see the world's efforts to help people understand how they're doing,” said Carrie Campbell Severino, president of Judicial Crisis Network. When asked about possible family links, Severino said, “My concern is – how was this next judge chosen? Because there are many questions about whether this judge can actually be fair in the case.”
Riley Gaines, Laurel Libby Lip Gavin Newsom, and Haykim Jeffries on women's sports trans athletes excuses
Carrie Campbell Severino is the president of the Judicial Crisis Network. (Judicial Crisis Network)
Judge Melissa Dubose, appointed by Biden of the Rhode Island area, will now oversee the case due to the judge's refusal.
R-La at Dubose's confirmation hearing in March 2024. Senator John Kennedy of the film has questioned DeBauce about her comments she made to journalists about going through the “stage of Marxism” at some point in her life. “Senator, I wasn't a Marxist and I wasn't. [currently] Marxist,” Dubeaus said.
In 2021, Dubose signed the letter along with many other Rhode Island judges, ensuring the LGBTQ community, racial minorities, and all underrated communities that “the courts in Rhode Island are their courts.” The letter followed a rally of thousands of people at the Capitol protesting police brutality.
School districts ban trans athletes from girls' sports and cause loud pro trans chants as the nation is against Trump
Melissa R. Dubose was entrusted to the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island on January 2, 2025. (US District Court for the District of Rhode Island)
Severino said it was “hard to imagine” that Dubose could provide a fair trial in Libby's case.
“It's not clear that we've decided to go to Rhode Island, in contrast to another nearby jurisdiction. In theory, there are other adjacent states that are adjacent,” Severino pointed out. “Now that's been moved, there's even more concern about this judge's ability to be fair.”
Click here to get the Fox News app
Libby declined to comment on this article, citing the ongoing lawsuit. Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecto, the accused in Libby's case, cited the same reason he didn't want to comment. Another defendant, Maine House clerk Robert Hunt, did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
