MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge, Judge Hannah Dugan, is set to stand trial in December after being accused of helping a man escape arrest by U.S. immigration agents in her courtroom. Dugan has opted not to appeal a federal judge's ruling that dismissed her attempt to have the case thrown out, with her trial now scheduled to start on December 15. The trial is expected to last about a week, with jury selection planned for December 11 and December 12.
Judge Dugan, who serves in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, has been under scrutiny for her actions during a court hearing on April 18. Following the courtroom proceedings, she allegedly escorted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a 31-year-old man facing arrest for being in the country without permanent legal status, and his lawyer out through a back door after learning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were in the courthouse seeking to apprehend him. Despite Dugan's alleged intervention, ICE agents managed to arrest Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse after a brief foot chase.
Federal prosecutors have charged Dugan with two offenses: concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor, and obstruction, a felony. If convicted on both counts, she faces a potential sentence of up to six years in prison along with a $350,000 fine. Dugan has pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintains that she was acting in her official capacity as a judge, arguing that this grants her immunity from prosecution. However, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman rejected this argument, siding with the recommendation of a magistrate judge that the case should proceed.
Dugan's situation highlights broader tensions between state and local authorities and the Trump administration, which has been actively confronting those resisting federal immigration enforcement measures. The administration's actions in this case are viewed by some Democrats as an effort to create a "national example" of Dugan to deter other judges from opposing deportation efforts.
In response to the indictment, Dugan was suspended with pay from her judicial position by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The upcoming trial and its implications reflect heightened scrutiny surrounding judicial independence and the pressures judges face in relation to federal immigration policies.
