The case involving a Wisconsin judge indicted for allegedly shielding an illegal immigrant from federal authorities took a dramatic turn Thursday with the public release of new video footage of the incident.
Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested last month on charges of obstruction of justice. She is accused of concealing Eduardo Flores-Ruiz—an undocumented immigrant implicated in a violent assault—following a pre-trial detention hearing, preventing his arrest by federal agents.
Dugan, who has served on the Milwaukee County bench for nearly a decade, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on both counts outlined in the federal indictment. Newly released video shows Dugan, wearing her judicial robes, speaking with federal agents who were present at a pre-trial detention hearing to take Eduardo Flores-Ruiz into custody.
The April 18 footage, released by Milwaukee County in response to an open records request, shows federal agents walking down a hallway after Judge Dugan directed them through a door. According to federal prosecutors, the footage suggests Dugan was deliberately attempting to divert the agents’ attention as they prepared to arrest Flores-Ruiz.
At the same time, the video shows Flores-Ruiz and his attorney leaving the courtroom through a restricted exit normally reserved for jurors, shortly after ICE agents had exited the building. One federal agent is seen trailing Flores-Ruiz as he enters an elevator and subsequently exits the courthouse, according to the footage.
Moments later, additional video captures Flores-Ruiz running for approximately a block before being apprehended by ICE agents. Dugan was arrested one week later, according to a criminal complaint, and formally indicted by a grand jury on May 13. Her attorneys quickly filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that she is protected by judicial immunity for actions taken in her official capacity.
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She pleaded not guilty to the charges on May 15 and is scheduled to appear in federal court for a pretrial hearing on July 9. Her jury trial is currently set for July 21, according to court records reviewed by the New York Post.
Flores-Ruiz remains in federal custody on immigration charges as his domestic violence case proceeds through Milwaukee County Court. Prosecutors also allege he is facing additional federal charges for reentering the United States illegally after being deported in 2013.
