MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court to charges that she helped an undocumented man evade U.S. immigration authorities after he appeared in her courtroom.
Judge Dugan entered the plea during a brief arraignment in federal court. Cameras weren’t allowed in the courtroom, but we did have a sketch artist there, who captured the three minutes of proceedings this morning.
Both the U.S. Attorney and Dugan’s attorneys agreed to a July jury trial date.
Dugan was arrested and charged last month with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstructing. Federal agents said the charges trace back to an arrest they were attempting to make inside the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18. The complaint outlines the plans to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was charged with battery and abuse following an altercation with his roommates in Milwaukee.
According to court documents, Flores-Ruiz illegally reentered the U.S. after being deported in 2013.
WATCH: Judge Hannah Dugan leaves federal court after pleading not guilty
Dugan was indicted Tuesday after a federal grand jury concluded there was enough probable cause to move the case forward. Her attorneys swiftly filed a motion to dismiss the criminal case against her, citing judicial immunity for her official acts.
“The problems with the prosecution are legion, but most immediately, the government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” the motion says. “Immunity is not a defense to the prosecution to be determined later by a jury or court; it is an absolute bar to the prosecution at the outset.”
Dugan was temporarily suspended of her official duties following her arrest, with the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, "that it is in the public interest that [Dugan] be temporarily relieved of her official duties."
"Today was routine," local attorney and legal expert, Patrick Cafferty, said.
Cafferty said Dugan's attorneys filing a dismissal motion so quickly stood out from how things usually go.
"The interesting thing with this case is the defense had already filed a motion to dismiss the day after the indictment came down, which isn't typically the way that things go," Cafferty explained.
He also highlighted the irony of the defense relying on a 2024 Supreme Court decision from a Trump case as precedent.
"The defense is saying that she acted within the scope of her authority, the government is saying that she acted outside of the scope of her authority," Cafferty said. "The irony here is the defense is relying on the Trump case that came down from the US Supreme Court last year, 2024, that ultimately led to the dismissal of Trump's criminal charges."
As the case moves forward, Cafferty said the prosecution will need to provide all evidence to the defense team.
"The government will have to turn over all of the discovery at this point. Police reports, audio, video, photographs. The defense can conduct their own investigation and at some point there will be a motion hearing that is scheduled in front of the magistrate," Cafferty added.
While attorneys and the courts work through the legal process, Dugan's supporters remain steadfast.
"Hopefully she'll get a fair and open hearing," supporter Shirley Horowitz said.
Horowitz shared her husband's experience serving on a jury in Judge Dugan's courtroom.
“He told me frequently at the time and now, what a great judge she was, and how careful she was,” Horowitz said. “She was respectful of everybody, both the people who were being tried and the jurors.”
Horowitz also said she believes the charges against Dugan are fabricated and called for their dismissal.
“[My husband] also said that when they left each day, they were directed out of a door that was the same door that she directed this particular person to go out of,” Horowitz said. “[He said] it was the normal procedure to do. It was nothing unusual or new or furtive, and that hasn't been brought out. So I think that people need to know that and to realize that the charges are being fabricated.”
Deisy España, another supporter of Dugan, longtime member of Voces de la Frontera, and the daughter of undocumented immigrants, emphasized the importance of due process for everyone, regardless of citizenship status.
“I think the Constitution of the United States honors that. Unfortunately, the administration and other people don't,” España said. “And so that's when it becomes a thing, like a threat to democracy. You can't pick and choose who has these rights.”
"It's a judge who has the authority to clarify and uphold the laws and if that was the circumstances in which she was ruling, that should be honored," Rick Houge added.
Dugan is due back in federal court July 9 at 10:30 a.m. for a pretrial. Her jury trial is set for July 21, according to court records.
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