Wisconsin Judge Pleads Not Guilty to Hindering Arrest by ICE (1)

A Wisconsin state court judge pleaded not guilty to federal charges that she tried to block an arrest by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside her courtroom last month.

Hannah C. Dugan, a state circuit judge in Milwaukee County, entered her plea before US Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries on Thursday. Dries set a one-week trial in the case for July 21. Dugan faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted.

Dugan is accused of trying to prevent ICE from arresting Mexican immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who appeared in her court April 18 to face domestic battery charges. Prosecutors allege the judge misled federal officials and escorted Flores-Ruiz out of the court through a non-public exit to avoid them. He was detained outside after a foot chase.

The judge’s April 25 arrest was highly touted by US Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel as a warning to state and local officials not to interfere with President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement priorities. Meanwhile, Democrats have cast the case against Dugan as yet another attempt by the administration to intimidate the judiciary.

According to the criminal complaint, Dugan and another judge confronted the arrest team in the courtroom hallway and she had a “confrontational, angry demeanor.” After an ICE officer told her he had an administrative warrant to make an arrest, Dugan said he needed a judicial warrant and ordered them to report to the chief judge’s office, the complaint showed.

After the federal agents left, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer through a jury door, the government alleged.

In a Wednesday court filing, Dugan’s lawyers argued the charges should be dismissed because she’s immune from prosecution for official acts — a legal defense similar to one previously asserted by Trump.

“Even if (contrary to what the trial evidence would show) Judge Dugan took the actions the complaint alleges, these plainly were judicial acts for which she has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution,” her lawyers argued. “Judges are empowered to maintain control over their courtrooms specifically and the courthouse generally.”

Last year, the Supreme Court ruled presidents have presumptive immunity from criminal charges over their officials acts.

The case is US v. Dugan, 25-cr-89, US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin (Milwaukee).

(Updates with background.)

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Steve Stroth in Chicago at sstroth@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Anthony Lin at alin364@bloomberg.net

Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou

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