Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan pleads not guilty to two criminal charges at federal hearing

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Before a courtroom packed with members of the national media, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan pleaded not guilty May 15 to federal charges that she tried to assist an undocumented immigrant escape arrest from her courtroom last month.

The plea was entered by Dugan defense attorney and former U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic during a brief early morning arraignment hearing at the federal courthouse before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Dries.

At the four-minute hearing, Dries set Dugan's next hearing for July 9 and her trial for July 21.

Afterward, Dugan declined to say whether she expects her case to go to trial. Biskupic also had no comment.

The 66-year-old judge was indicted May 13 on two counts: obstructing a federal agency and concealing Eduardo Flores-Diaz, an undocumented immigrant who was being sought by federal officers at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

The two charges — one a felony and the other a misdemeanor — carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $350,000 fine, but sentences in cases involving nonviolent offenses typically are much shorter.

Outside the courthouse on East Wisconsin Avenue, a couple of hundred protesters demonstrated against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Milwaukee and his administration's treatment of Dugan.

People in the crowd on the courthouse steps held signs that read things like "We are a nation of laws," "Defend Democracy" and "Only Fascists Arrest Judges." 

One speaker led the crowd in chants of “Hands off Hannah Dugan” and “Hands off our immigrant brothers and sisters.”

The case stems from the arrest of Flores-Ruiz at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18.

On that date, two federal agents chased down and apprehended Flores-Ruiz down outside the county courthouse , according to the criminal complaint. Flores-Ruiz was appearing in Dugan's courtroom on three misdemeanor charges of domestic battery.

His arrest is part of a federal crackdown on undocumented immigrants by Trump officials. A week later, Dugan was taken into custody at the courthouse, handcuffed and taken into federal custody to appear before a federal magistrate for supposedly trying to help Flores-Ruiz escape a six-member federal arrest team.

Dugan's arrest was announced nationally by FBI Director Kash Patel on the social media platform X.  The high-profile case has put Dugan put her at the center of the growing dispute between President Donald Trump and the nation's judiciary. 

Earlier in the week, Dugan's defense team filed a motion to dismiss the case, citing judicial immunity and federal overreach issues.

At the arraignment, Dugan arrived with three defense attorneys — Biskupic, Jason D Luczak and Nicole M Masnica. Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling was there for the prosecution.

Biskupic entered Dugan's not guilty plea and noted the pending claims made in the motion to dismiss.

Frohling estimated that the trial should take about a week. Both sides raised the issue of difficulty in selecting a jury for the case.

While Dries presided over the arraignment hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph will handle the pre-trial motions. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman will oversee the trial. Adelman, a former Democratic senator, was assigned the Dugan case after her indictment through a computer-driven random selection process used by the federal clerk of courts.

Dugan, now in her ninth year on the bench, was placed on paid administrative leave by the Wisconsin Supreme Court shortly after her arrest. She earns about $175,000 a year.

Check back for updates to this developing story.