Politics
Bombshell Footage Emerges In DOJ Case Against Wisconsin Judge
The case involving a Wisconsin judge who was recently indicted for allegedly shielding an illegal alien from federal agents took a dramatic turn on Thursday when new footage of the incident was released to the public for the first time.
Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested last month after being accused of obstruction of justice for allegedly concealing Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal alien who was implicated in a vicious assault, from arrest following a pre-trial detention hearing.
Dugan, who has been on the Milwaukee County bench for nearly a decade, faces a maximum of up to 10 years in prison if convicted on both counts laid out in the indictment.
Newly released footage of the incident shows the judge, dressed in her black robes, speaking to federal agents who were attending a pre-trial detention hearing in order to take Flores-Ruiz into custody.
The April 18 footage, which was released by Milwaukee County through an open records request, shows agents walking down a hallway after being directed through a door by Judge Dugan. This, according to federal prosecutors, indicates that Dugan was attempting to distract the agents as they were attempting to make the arrest.
At the same time, the video shows Flores-Ruiz and his attorney exiting the courtroom through a restricted exit typically used by jurors shortly after ICE agents left the building. One federal agent could be seen following Flores-Ruiz as he entered an elevator and later left the building, the footage also shows.
Flores-Ruiz is later seen running for about a block before he was apprehended by ICE agents.
Judge Dugan was arrested a week later, according to a criminal complaint, and was indicted by a grand jury on May 13. Her attorneys soon filed a motion to dismiss the case, citing judicial immunity for her official acts.
On May 15, the judge pleaded not guilty to the charges and is set to appear in federal court on July 9 for a pretrial hearing. Her jury trial is currently slated for July 21, according to court records reviewed by the New York Post.
Flores-Ruiz remains in federal custody on immigration charges while his domestic violence case processes through the Milwaukee County Court. He is currently facing additional federal charges after illegally entering the country following his initial deportation in 2013, prosecutors allege.
