Milwaukee County Judge Dugan legal defense fund launched
Judge Hannah Dugan. Sketch courtesy L.D. Chukman.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan announced Friday that she's set up a fund to cover the costs of her defense. The fund issued a statement saying that the case against her is an "unprecedented attack on the independent judiciary by the federal government."
Legal defense fund
What we know:
The fund statement said that Dugan plans to resume her work as a judge, and they won't accept contributions that could compromise her judicial integrity.
The restrictions include:
- No donations from any Milwaukee County residents;
- No donations from licensed attorneys who practice in Milwaukee County;
- No donations from lobbyists/lobbying firms;
- No donations from a member of the Wisconsin judiciary;
- No donations from any parties that have any pending matters before any Milwaukee County Circuit Court;
- No donations from any Milwaukee County employees;
- Donations only from U.S. Citizens.
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Former state Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske will manage the fund.
Grand jury indictment
The backstory:
This week, a federal grand jury indicted Dugan, accusing her of helping an undocumented man evade arrest and obstructing federal agents from making that arrest.
Judge Hannah Dugan appeared before Magistrate Judge Stephen Dries on Thursday morning, flanked by her attorneys.
Milwaukee County Judge Dugan pleads not guilty in federal court
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that she helped a man who is in the country illegally evade U.S. immigration authorities looking to arrest him in her courtroom.
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Former US Attorney Steve Biskupic entered not-guilty pleas on behalf of his client.
On Tuesday, May 13, a grand jury returned a two-count indictment stating that Dugan helped an undocumented man evade arrest by federal agents, who showed up to Dugan's court to arrest the man, and that Dugan obstructed agents in the process.
That man is 29-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz.
He was in Dugan's court for a misdemeanor battery case.
Eduardo Flores Ruiz
Prosecutors say Dugan told agents to go to the chief judge's office down the hall, and is then accused of telling Flores-Ruiz and his attorney - Mercedes de la Rosa -- to leave her courtroom out a back door, as federal agents waited outside the courtroom to arrest him.
Dugan's trial date is set for July 21, 2025.
The Source: The information in this post was provided in part by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the Associated Press.