MILWAUKEE — New video shows Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan outside her courtroom speaking with federal agents who were there to arrest an undocumented man after he appeared in her courtroom.
WATCH: New video shows Milwaukee judge’s interactions with federal agents
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz was in court April 18 on battery and domestic abuse charges stemming from an argument with his roommates, according to a criminal complaint. That encounter with law enforcement led federal prosecutors to learn he was in the country without legal documentation.
Flores-Ruiz was arrested by federal agents shortly after leaving the courtroom. Prosecutors say Judge Dugan helped him evade federal agents by allegedly assisting him in exiting the courthouse through a restricted door typically used by jurors and diverting the agents’ attention.
Prosecutors also claim she redirected the agents to speak with the chief judge while Flores-Ruiz made his exit.
Related:Milwaukee chief judge addresses Judge Dugan's arrest, courthouse arrest controversy
Video timeline
Footage, which was released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office through a public records request, shows Dugan speaking with federal agents outside her courtroom. It then shows the agents walking away and being directed toward a hallway.
Prosecutors say these movements show Dugan attempted to divert the agents’ attention during the arrest operation of Flores-Ruiz.
They also say she led the agents to speak with the chief judge. Shortly after the agents leave, video shows Flores-Ruiz, accompanied by his attorney, leaving Dugan’s courtroom.
Footage also shows Flores-Ruiz entering an elevator and exiting the courthouse, with an agent following him.
More video shows Flores-Ruiz running outside before agents apprehended him on 10th Street.
Charges against Dugan
Judge Dugan was arrested a week later by federal agents at the courthouse and charged with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstructing justice.
Dugan was indicted May 13 after a federal grand jury found probable cause to move the case forward. Her attorneys quickly filed a motion to dismiss, citing judicial immunity for her official acts.
She pleadednot guilty in federal court May 15to the charges. She is due back in federal court July 9 at 10:30 a.m. for a pretrial hearing. Her jury trial is set for July 21, according to court records.
WATCH: Judge Hannah Dugan leaves federal court after pleading not guilty
Flores-Ruiz’s history with law enforcement
Flores-Ruiz also faces federal charges for allegedly returning to the U.S. illegally after prosecutors say he was deported in 2013. He pleaded not guilty to those charges earlier this month.
He is due back in federal court June 24 at 3:30 p.m. for a final pretrial conference, according to court records.
A status conference for his battery and domestic abuse charges is set for June 18, court records show.
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