Milwaukee County Judge Dugan trial: Live updates Monday, Dec. 15

MILWAUKEE - Opening statements in the trial of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who federal prosecutors accuse of helping an undocumented man evade capture at the courthouse earlier this year, are underway on Monday, Dec. 15.

Live updates from Monday, Dec. 15

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Court goes into break

10:27 a.m.:

Adelman calls for a 10-minute break following opening statements.

Defense team's opening statement

10:02 a.m.:

Defense Attorney Steve Biskupic began his opening statement noting the distance – 11 feet, 10 inches – between the main courtroom exit and the door Flores-Ruiz exited with his attorney, as well as how long Dugan spoke to the federal agents in the hallway outside her courtroom.

Biskupic conveyed to the jury that the burden of proof is "entirely" on prosecutors. 

The defense attorney then broke down a timeline of "upheaval" over the preceding weeks and months as it related to a change in the presidential administration and policies regarding I.C.E. at courthouses. He said changes led to "anger, confusion, and even paranoia" about what those changes meant for the Milwaukee County Courthouse and its judges.

Biskupic said concerns from judges included what kind of warrant ICE was using and whether the public was informed about courthouse policy. He explained the difference between administrative warrants and judicial warrants and that guidance on how to handle those types of warrants comes from the chief judge. He said Chief Judge Carl Ashley had drafted a policy and made public statements related to immigration information at the courthouse.

The defense attorney said confusion and uncertainty unfolded at the courthouse for a variety of reasons that day – including it being Good Friday, Flores-Ruiz's attorney asking for the case to be called earlier.

Biskupic said Flores-Ruiz's attorney would testify that she was not told there was an I.C.E. warrant for her client and that she was not directed to go down the stairs. He again pointed out that they did not go down the stairs but instead exited into the public hallway where agents could have then arrested him as planned. He played video from the hallway showing Flores-Ruiz, his attorney and federal agents leave.

Wrapping up his statement, Biskupic outlined the charges to the jury and the factors they will weigh – specifically intent – when determining a verdict.

Prosecutors' opening statement

9:13 a.m.:

Attorney Keith Alexander delivered the opening statement in the government's case against Dugan. He began with a quote – "I'll do it. I'll get the heat" – that prosecutors said came from Dugan.

Alexander set the scene at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18 – the arrival of Flores-Ruiz, and the "routine events" of federal agents. He said court unfolded in a "typical" way until Dugan's clerk alerted her that I.C.E. was in the hallway outside the courtroom. He pointed to Dugan's stance on whether to notify the chief judge and her involving a fellow judge at the time.

Alexander said Dugan called the undocumented man's case earlier than intended once she learned of the federal agents' presence. He also said that the parties in the courtroom discussed the option of the man leaving down the stairs and directed the man and his attorney to a non-public hallway, where there was a stairwell that would have led them out of the building – though they did not go down the stairs. He also said witnesses would testify that use of that hallway in that way was not routine.

Alexander said – from the time Dugan returned to the courtroom after speaking to agents, to the time the undocumented man and his attorney left through that non-public hallway – 2 minutes and 49 seconds went by.

Alexander said there was no video of the hearing in Dugan's courtroom, but that there is audio; he played portions of that audio for the jury. He also told the jury they would see video – but not audio – from multiple angles in the hallway outside the courtroom as Dugan spoke to federal agents. He also showed images from other areas inside and outside the courthouse. 

Alexander read the two charges filed against Dugan to the jury and summarized what he anticipated they would be instructed to consider when deciding whether to find Dugan guilty or not guilty on those charges. Specifically, he outlined what to consider as it relates to Dugan's intent.

Juror sick, trial to proceed with 13-person jury

9:08 a.m.:

Judge Lynn Adelman announced one juror called in sick and attorneys if they are comfortable proceeding through the trial with a 13-person jury, leaving one alternate instead of two.

Attorney Richard Frohling, for the government, said proceeding with 13 jurors was the "better of the two options." Attorney Steven Biskupic, representing Dugan, said he saw "no other option" if the case was to proceed Monday.

Adelman, with no objection, agreed to proceed with the 13-person jury. The jury was then brought in at 9:12 a.m.

Bonus coverage from Monday, Dec. 15

Dugan charged

The backstory:

A federal grand jury indicted Dugan, and she pleaded not guilty, in May.

The grand jury's two-count indictment accused Dugan of helping an undocumented man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, evade federal agents who were at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest him on April 18. It also states Dugan obstructed those agents in the process.

Flores-Ruiz was in Dugan's courtroom for a misdemeanor battery case. Prosecutors said Dugan told federal agents to go to the chief judge's office down the hall, and she is then accused of telling Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to leave her courtroom through a back door as federal agents waited outside the courtroom to arrest him.

Agents arrested Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse after a brief foot chase that day. Dugan was arrested by federal agents at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 25. 

The Wisconsin Supreme Court later suspended Dugan indefinitely after she was arrested and charged. Flores-Ruiz later pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the U.S. and, in November, was deported.

Federal Judge Lynn Adelman is overseeing the Dugan trial. 

Complete coverage

Dig deeper:

FOX6 News will stream special coverage of the Dugan trial each day on FOX LOCAL. The app is free to download on your phone, tablet or smart TV. 

• Judge Dugan trial: Jury seated after day of questioning (Dec. 11, 2025)
• Judge Dugan trial: How did we get here?
• Judge Dugan trial: Who is Eduardo Flores-Ruiz?
• How does federal court work?
• Courthouse immigration enforcement policy questions remain

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