Milwaukee County Judge Dugan defense, conservative joins legal team

Conservative lawyer joins Dugan's defense team

The legal defense team for Milwaukee County Judge Dugan now includes an attorney who President Trump once considered for a U.S. Supreme Court seat.

MILWAUKEE - The legal defense team for Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan now includes an attorney who President Donald Trump once considered for a U.S. Supreme Court seat.

Judge arrested

The backstory:

The FBI accuses Dugan of escorting defendant Eduardo Flores Ruiz and his attorney through a non-public door to avoid immigration enforcement at the courthouse. Flores Ruiz was in court on a domestic abuse charge. Immigration agents wanted to arrest him, saying he was in the country illegally. 

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In the hours that followed Dugan's arrest, protests from liberal leaders and activists popped up to defend her. On Tuesday, Dugan's courtroom was locked; there was a sign that told people to go down the hall for afternoon cases.

Hannah Dugan

Dugan's legal team

Dig deeper:

As President Donald Trump criticizes Dugan, a conservative lawyer who was on his list of possible U.S. Supreme Court picks in 2020, will represent Dugan.

"I think the whole thing is horrible, with judges, what's going on. They shouldn't be doing that. That's very dangerous territory," Trump said.

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Attorney Paul Clement fought the Affordable Care Act, clerked for conservative Justice Antonin Scalia and later became President George W. Bush's solicitor general, which meant he led the federal government's cases at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Clement was raised in Cedarburg. Now, his work will take him to Milwaukee as part of Dugan's legal defense team – a team that also includes former U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic, another Bush appointee.

Paul Clement

FOX6 News obtained the transcript of Dugan's initial appearance in federal court. Another attorney for the judge said she "wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interests of public safety."

What's next:

Prosecutors said they intend to present the allegations against Dugan to a grand jury. Her preliminary hearing is set for May 15.