Milwaukee County Judge Dugan trial: Live updates Thursday, Dec. 11

MILWAUKEE - Jury selection 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, begins on Thursday morning, Dec. 11.

Live updates from Thursday, Dec. 11

Potential jurors answer questions

10:09 a.m.:

9:45 a.m. (approx.):

Adelman asked the pool a variety of questions – such as whether they know any of the possible witnesses and if there is any reason they could not be impartial – to determine whether they'd be fit to serve on the jury over the course of the trial. He expects the trial to last four or five days.

Pool of potential jurors brought into courtroom

9:37 a.m.:

Adelman read the grand jury's indictment to the pool of potential jurors. He notified potential jurors that Dugan has pleaded not guilty, explained what the jury selection process and trial will entail.

9:31 a.m.:

The pool of as many as 80 potential jurors entered the courtroom. The group, primarily men, filed into the room and stood behind and adjacent to the legal teams to take an oath before they were seated at 9:35 a.m.

Federal judge calls court into session

9:19 a.m.:

Judge Lynn Adelman called court into session. Attorneys Richard Frohling, Kelly Watza and Keith Alexander, representing the government, as well as an FBI Special Agent, are seated closest to the bench. Dugan and her defense attorneys, Steve Biskupic, Nicole Masnica and Jason Luczak, are seated behind them.

Hannah Dugan arrives at courthouse

8:30 a.m. (approx.):

Dugan arrived at the Federal Courthouse.

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.

The Source: FOX6 News reviewed court filings and video associated with the case, is at the federal courthouse for the trial and referenced prior coverage of the case.

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