MILWAUKEE — Federal prosecutors have rested their case in the high-profile trial of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces charges related to allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade federal agents.
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The prosecution concluded its case after calling 19 witnesses over three days at the federal courthouse in downtown Milwaukee.
The defense is expected to begin presenting its case with four witnesses, though it remains unclear whether Dugan herself will testify.
Key testimony on Wednesday came from Chief Judge Carl Ashley, who addressed questions about courthouse policies regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Ashley testified that he never told federal agents they could not make arrests in public hallways and confirmed there was no official policy from his office regarding ICE agents in the courthouse.
Alan Freed, a clerk who works in Dugan's courtroom, provided testimony about the day in question. Freed described seeing criminal defendant Eduardo Flores Ruiz exit through a non-public hallway, calling it unusual after handling thousands of cases in that courtroom.
Watch: Federal prosecutors rest case against Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan
Mercedes de la Rosa, Flores Ruiz's attorney, also testified about the events. She described a tense scene as she was guided down the non-public hallway, but testified that Dugan did not specifically direct her where to go or which door to use.
The hallway in question has two exits — one leading to the public corridor where federal agents were waiting, and another that leads down an enclosed hallway where agents potentially would not have seen the defendant.
The trial could move to closing arguments as early as Thursday afternoon, depending on how quickly the defense presents its case. The jury will then deliberate to reach a verdict on the federal charges against the sitting Milwaukee County judge.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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