Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, center, appears in court as jury selection begins in her trial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Adela Tesnow/Pool via AP
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Adela Tesnow/Pool via AP
MILWAUKEE — A federal jury has found Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Judge Hannah Dugan guilty thursday obstruction of immigration agents when they tried to arrest an undocumented immigrant defendant last April.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz was arraigned in Dugan on a charge of battery. Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national, was arrested outside the courthouse after a brief pursuit by immigration agents. since he was deported.
A grand jury indicted Dugan the following month. She denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of obstructing legal proceedings (a felony) and concealing a person to prevent arrest (a misdemeanor). She was found not guilty of the misdemeanor charge.
During the trial, federal agents testified that Dugan appeared “angry” when she approached them in a public hallway where they were waiting to arrest Flores-Ruiz after his hearing. They testified that she asked the agents if they had a bench warrant, sent them to talk to the chief judge, rushed Flores-Ruiz's case to an end and allowed him and his lawyer to leave the courtroom through a jury door that led back to a public hallway.
During the government's closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Watzka said Dugan conducted a “roundup” of federal agents and sent them to the chief judge's office.
Watzka said Dugan then created an “escape route” for Flores-Ruiz, allowing him to exit through a door that defendants do not normally go through. Prosecutors also played audio in the courtroom of Dugan saying she would “take responsibility” for her actions.
Dugan's lawyers argued that immigration policy the courthouse was crowded at the time, which left Dugan confused, and after Dugan allowed Flores-Ruiz to walk through the jury door, he found himself back in the public hallway. They argued that this showed that she was not hiding it.
Dugan did not testify at the trial.
Dugan's lawyer, Jason Luzak, told jurors: “You are deterring government abuses. Use your power to bring justice to this case. You have the power to correct this unfair prosecution. It’s your decision and justice is in your hands.”
Before President Trump's first term, courthouses were usually prohibited to federal authorities, including immigration agents. In 2018, he implemented a policy giving agents greater powers, and now strengthened immigration laws during his second term.
