Milwaukee Federal Judge Hannah Dugan will face trial beginning Dec. 15 for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest by ICE agents, marking one of the most talked-about federal cases from Wisconsin to Washington D.C.
The case centers on what Dugan allegedly did or didn't do when federal agents arrived outside her courtroom in April to arrest Eduardo Flores Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant.
Jury selection begins December 11th, one month from Tuesday, with 12 jurors and two to three alternates needed for the trial.
Watch: What to expect in Judge Hannah Dugan's trial:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter John Diedrich, who has covered federal court cases in Milwaukee for many years, said the jury selection process has already begun with an unusually large questionnaire distribution.
"The questionnaire is not unprecedented, but the number of questionnaires that went out, 120 is unusual," Diedrich said.
The questionnaires were sent to residents in 12 counties where the federal district court draws from to assess potential jurors' knowledge of the case and their ability to be fair. There was also debate over whether people's political beliefs and religious affiliations would be included in the questioning.
Video evidence from the courthouse hallway will play a prominent role in the trial, showing Flores Ruiz and his attorney exiting a door and being followed by federal agents. The footage also captures an interaction between Judge Dugan and federal agents in the hallway, though it contains no audio.
"All that video is out in the hallway, but a lot of important action happened in the hallway," Diedrich said.
The trial is expected to last four to five days. Judge Dugan has maintained her innocence throughout the process, though it remains unclear whether she will testify in her own defense.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson 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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