MILWAUKEE — For the first time in months, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan appeared in federal court as her trial approaches its Dec. 15 start date.
Dugan is facing charges of obstruction and concealing an undocumented immigrant to evade arrest by ICE agents. The case stems from an incident in April involving Eduardo Flores Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant who was scheduled to appear in Dugan's court.
Who is Hannah Dugan
Dugan has been an elected Milwaukee County Judge since 2016 and was reelected in 2022. Her term expires in 2028.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan from her judicial duties with pay while the federal case was pending. Her salary is $175,000 a year.
Watch: Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan appears in federal court for first time in months ahead of trial
National attention
Dugan's case immediately drew national attention from key officials in the Trump Administration. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted at the time of Dugan's arrest, "No one is above the law".
FBI Director Kash Patel also posted a photo on X with nearly 40 million views of Judge Dugan being led out of the courthouse in handcuffs.
No one is above the law pic.twitter.com/TSrQ4GNMdA
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 26, 2025
A month after her arrest, more than 130 retired state and federal judges filed a brief supporting dismissal of charges against Judge Dugan, saying: "The indictment in this matter raises important questions concerning judicial immunity."
Dugan's defense team tried unsuccessfully to have the case dismissed. Federal Judge Lynn Adelman rejected the motion and moved forward with a trial.
Final pretrial conference
During Wednesday's final pretrial conference, Dugan was escorted into the federal courthouse. This marked her first court appearance since the initial charges were filed in May, as she had not been required to attend previous hearings.
The meeting between federal prosecutors and Dugan's defense team focused on resolving last-minute questions about how the case will proceed.
Court officials revealed that the jury pool consists of around 90 people, with the potential for more if needed. Twelve jurors are required along with 2-3 alternates.
The jury selection process will begin Dec. 11.
The government plans to call 25-28 potential witnesses, including ICE and federal agents involved in the arrest of Flores Ruiz on the day he was scheduled to appear in Dugan's court.
Prosecutors estimate their case could take up to four days before the defense presents its arguments. Dugan has pleaded not guilty and maintained from the beginning that she did nothing wrong. The matter will now be decided by a jury.
What happened to Eduardo Flores-Ruiz:
The native Mexican was arrested the same day by ICE agents outside the courthouse. He was facing three counts of misdemeanor battery in state court at the time of his arrest. Flores-Ruiz eventually pled guilty in September to being in the U.S. illegally and was deported on Nov. 14.
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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