Federal trial of Judge Hannah Dugan begins Monday
Federal trial of Judge Hannah Dugan begins Monday
The federal trial of Judge Hannah Dugan starts Monday, with opening statements expected to outline allegations she helped an undocumented man evade immigration agents.
MILWAUKEE - Day one of the federal trial against Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan begins Monday, Dec. 15, with opening statements expected to set the tone for the rest of the case.
What we know:
Dugan is accused of helping an undocumented man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, evade federal immigration agents at the Milwaukee County Courthouse earlier this year, placing Milwaukee in the national spotlight of the immigration debate.
Monday marks the first time jurors will hear what both sides say the evidence will show. After opening statements, prosecutors are expected to call their first witness.
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"I am going to be interested to see how much outside noise is going to try to impact this particular case," said Julius Kim, criminal defense attorney.
"This is a high-profile case. There’s a lot of eyes on this from a lot of different perspectives," said Kim.
Kim said the attention surrounding the case could influence how it unfolds inside the courtroom, particularly if national political figures weigh in while the trial is ongoing.
Dig deeper:
"What will be interesting to see is it outside forces start impacting what is happening inside the courtroom and whether outside players – major players – Kash Patel, Pam Bondi, even the president himself – if they start making comments about this case and whether that is going to chance strategy while the case is going on," said Kim.
Kim said Monday’s opening statements will provide insight into what prosecutors and the defense plan to emphasize throughout the trial and will serve as the jury’s first impression of the attorneys and their cases.
Milwaukee County Judge Dugan trial: Who is Eduardo Flores-Ruiz?
A federal grand jury charged Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan with helping an undocumented man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, evade immigration enforcement.
The jury is made up of nine men and five women, including two alternates. Kim described the panel as a diverse mix drawn from counties across the region.
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"The counties – geographically, politically, socio-economically are so different throughout all of these counties – I think the jury is going to be made up of a diverse group of people," said Kim.
Kim said the evidence in the case appears straightforward, and attorneys involved have said they hope to have the case in the hands of the jury by Friday, Dec. 19.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.