Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, center, is shown in a court sketch as jury selection begins in her trial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Adela Tesno/Pool via AP
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Adela Tesno/Pool via AP
MILWAUKEE — A federal jury found Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan guilty Thursday of obstructing immigration agents as they attempted to arrest an undocumented immigrant defendant last April.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz was appearing in Dugan’s court on misdemeanor battery charges. Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican citizen, was arrested outside the courthouse after a brief pursuit by immigration agents and has since been deported.
A grand jury indicted Dugan the following month. He denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of obstructing proceedings, a felony, and concealing a person to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor. He was found not guilty of rape.
During the trial, federal agents testified that Dugan seemed “angry” when he approached them in the public hallway where they were waiting to arrest Flores-Ruiz after the hearing. He testified that he asked agents if they had a judicial warrant, sent them to speak to the chief judge, quickly disposed of Flores-Ruiz’s case, and allowed him and his attorney to leave the courtroom through the jury door, which led back into a public hallway.
During the government’s closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Watzka said that Dugan “rounded up” federal agents and sent them to the Chief Justice’s office.
Watzka said Dugan created an “escape route” for Flores-Ruiz when he let her out through a door defendants don’t normally go through. Prosecutors also played audio of Dugan in the courtroom saying he would “get in trouble” for his actions.
Dugan’s attorneys argued that there was fluctuation in immigration enforcement policy in the court at the time, which caused Dugan to be confused, and after Dugan let Flores-Ruiz through the jury door, he returned to the public hallway. He argued that this showed she was not hiding it.
Dugan did not testify during the trial.
Dugan’s attorney Jason Luczak told the jury: “You are curbing government overreach. Use your power to pursue justice in this case. You have the power to correct this unjust prosecution. It is your decision and justice is in your hands.”
Until President Trump’s first term, the courts were generally off limits to federal officials, including immigration agents. He implemented a policy giving sweeping powers to agents in 2018 and has now stepped up immigration enforcement during his second term.
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