A federal grand jury indicted a Wisconsin judge on Tuesday for allegedly assisting an illegal migrant in avoiding immigration authorities.
Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was taken into custody in handcuffs last month—still wearing her black judicial robe—after being charged with obstruction of justice and hiding Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz from federal agents following a pre-trial hearing.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has been indicted for allegedly assisting an undocumented immigrant in evading ICE custody.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz is accused of brutally assaulting his victim, reportedly landing around 30 punches.
The high-profile arrest sparked outrage among Democrats, while the Department of Justice stood by its decision to pursue charges against the veteran judge.
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the indictment was issued Tuesday following a full day of court proceedings.
She was initially charged with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction, and the grand jury determined there was enough probable cause to continue the case.
Following her arrest late last month, she was temporarily removed from her duties.
In response to the latest developments, her defense team issued a brief statement, emphasizing that Dugan maintains her innocence and is confident she will be cleared in court.
She is scheduled to enter a plea on Thursday.
Flores-Ruiz, 30, appeared before Dugan on April 18 to face three misdemeanor charges stemming from a March altercation, before the judge allegedly attempted to assist him in evading authorities.
Prosecutors claim that after learning Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were in the courthouse searching for him, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out through the back jury door of her courtroom.
At one point, Dugan, accompanied by another judge, approached the agents in the courthouse and became “confrontational” during a back-and-forth, as stated in an affidavit.
She directed them to speak with the chief justice, and upon returning to her courtroom, Dugan led Flores-Ruiz through an exit primarily used by staff, jurors, and defendants already in custody, according to the documents.
Flores-Ruiz, who was out on a signature bond at the time, was eventually captured after a foot chase outside the courthouse.
His legal issues that brought him before Dugan began in mid-March, when he allegedly punched and choked another man during an argument—and also struck a woman who attempted to intervene, as per a police report.
Court documents reveal that the migrant had illegally re-entered the U.S. after being deported in 2013.
