On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, a pretrial hearing was held for Judge Hannah Dugan, who is being accused of helping an illegal immigrant man evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. If convicted she could ultimately end up serving a six-year sentence in prison. Her trial is set for December.
Dugan was arrested by the FBI in April 2025 in the courthouse where she serves as a judge. FBI Director Kash Patel revealed information about the arrest in a post on social media outlet X, however, Dugan’s attorneys will not be allowed to discuss or introduce as part of their client’s defense after a ruling handed down by U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman.
Federal prosecutors revealed on Wednesday they are planning to call a total of 28 witnesses to offer testimony, including several individuals who were present at the Milwaukee County Courthouse and in Dugan’s courtroom when the incident took place. Jury selection for the trial will kick off on December 11.
Last week, interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel revealed that prosecutors offered Dugan a plea deal, but her legal team rejected it right off the bat. Her trial is set to begin on December 15. During the alleged incident, Dugan is said to have directed an illegal immigrant to exit her courtroom through a side door after ICE agents showed up to the courthouse to take him into custody.
According to a report from WPR, Dugan has been charged with obstructing or impeding a proceeding, which is a felony, along with concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest, a misdemeanor. University of Wisconsin Law School professor, John Gross, stated the witnesses for the prosecution will probably testify about Dugan’s conduct on the day of the incident.
“It sounds like they’re (prosecutors) going to call all the law enforcement agents, all of the court personnel, any other … witnesses who were in the hallway, who they were able to identify,” Gross went on to say. A total of 34 jurors have already been struck, leaving 90 potential jurors remaining.
Gross explained that there could be more potential jurors who are excluded from the selection process due to potential bias. “This case has gotten a lot of press,” Gross stated. “It involves immigration enforcement, which is an issue that people tend to feel strongly about one way or another.”
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Dugan’s legal representatives did not provide details concerning the length of their arguments or how many witnesses they may call to the stand. The judge has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Dugan filed a motion over the summer to have the case tossed out, but it was rejected, allowing the case to move forward.
Judge Dugan has not been hearing cases since the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended her at the end of April due to the ongoing case. The federal complaint filed against her revealed that agents with ICE, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration were in Dugan’s courtroom on April 18 to serve an administrative warrant for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was in court that day to face misdemeanor charges of battery-related to a domestic violence incident.
Featured image: screenshot from embedded video