Milwaukee County Judge Dugan trial: Live updates Thursday, Dec. 18

MILWAUKEE - Closing arguments are coming Thursday in the trial of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who federal prosecutors accuse of helping undocumented immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz evade arrest at the courthouse earlier this year.

Live updates from Thursday, Dec. 18

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Closing arguments

Coming up:

It is unclear when closing arguments will begin. The government will go first, followed by the defense. 

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Defense rests its case, Dugan did not testify

9:53 a.m.:

Defense Attorney Steven Biskupic announced that the defense rests. Dugan did not testify in her own defense. 

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman then announced a break.

Tom Barrett, former Milwaukee mayor

Government cross-examination: Purpose of Barrett's testimony

9:52 a.m.:

Barrett said that he was not testifying as a factual witness, and he was not at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18. 

Defense questioning: Dugan described as "extremely honest"

9:48 a.m.:

The defense called former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to the stand. He is not currently employed, but he previously practiced law and held legislative positions throughout his career.

Barrett said he's known Dugan for "well over" 50 years, and they first met in high school. He said he would spend time at the Dugan home, and described the Dugan family as "close-knit."

The former mayor testified he and Dugan have stayed in touch throughout the years, in both personal and professional capacities. 

Barrett described Dugan as "extremely honest" and someone who "will tell you how she feels."

Maura Gingerich, public defense attorney

Government cross-examination: Actions of agents, judges

9:41 a.m.:

Gingerich said it was "stressful" to see who she believed to be plainclothes law enforcement officers at the courthouse. She admitted she took photos of those people.

The public defender said the federal agents were not causing disruptions at the courthouse. She said she did not see what happened involving Flores-Ruiz.

Gingerich said she informed Judge Kristela Cervera during a later case that a client of the public defender's had been arrested. 

On re-direct from the defense, Gingerich said she never interacted with Dugan.

Defense questioning: Taking photos of federal agents

9:41 a.m.:

The defense called Maura Gingerich, a criminal defense attorney with the state public defender's office, as its third witness. She was at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18.

Gingerich testified she tried to take pictures of who she thought were federal agents on the sixth floor, where Dugan's courtroom is located. She said she tried to take pictures so she could show her manager and the head of her office because she'd heard of arrests at the courthouse, and doing so would allow them to request guidance from the chief judge. 

Milwaukee County Judge Laura Gramling Perez

Government cross-examination: Acknowledgment of draft policy

9:39 a.m.:

Gramling Perez testified that she thanked Chief Judge Carl Ashley for drafting a policy on how to handle ICE at the courthouse, telling him it was a solid policy, but that the policy never became official.

As it relates to the draft policy, Gramling Perez acknowledged its contents. She reiterated that the chief judge had not issued a policy, but that Milwaukee County had issued a policy. She was unsure how the county's policy affects the courts.

Government cross-examination: Dugan replies to email 

9:37 a.m.:

Gramling Perez testified that Dugan replied to an email, thanking her for an email that included highlights of an online training about how ICE operates in courthouses. That email noted that ICE can conduct arrests in public areas, but there are certain limitations on that enforcement action. 

Government cross-examination: ICE, courthouse policies

9:28 a.m.:

Gramling Perez testified that Chief Judge Carl Ashley sent an email to all judges that included an ICE document that outlined the agency's policy. 

The judge said there is no court policy about where ICE can conduct arrests, and to her knowledge, the chief judge had not issued an official policy.

In an email to the chief judge, and later sent to Dugan, Gramling Perez wrote that the goal of a court-wide protocol would be to allow lawful ICE actions. She said she did not make a statement about what ICE could or could not do, but she said it was her understanding that the law can allow ICE to make arrests in public areas – but there are certain limitations.

Defense questioning: Chief judge's email thread about ICE

9:26 a.m.:

Gramling Perez testified that Dugan replied to the email thread expressing concern that ICE detentions are "a different animal – and currently the historic protocols are now shifting quickly." She said Dugan wrote it "would be helpful" to have a discussion about outstanding issues and develop a set of protocols.

Dugan wrote the courthouse was in "uncharted waters" and wanted "at least a draft" of written protocols. She also wrote that she'd had people not showing up for court dates and two immigration attorneys had asked her about courthouse protocols.

Defense questioning: Chief judge's email thread about ICE

9:21 a.m.:

Gramling Perez said she found an email from Chief Judge Carl Ashley about ICE operating in the courthouse, after agents made arrests in March, "unusual."

In the email thread, the judge testified that a fellow judge asked if it meant Milwaukee County was cooperating with ICE. Gramling Perez said she replied to that question, with information about an online training with resources.

Gramling Perez, in her email, said key takeaways of the training included that ICE can legally conduct enforcement in public areas of the courthouses and that there are "statutory and policy limitations" to such enforcement. She wrote she "would strongly advise" the courthouse develop a court-wide policy governing ICE actions – including requiring that ICE agents check in with the chief judge before conducting any enforcement. 

Defense questioning: Online training about ICE at courthouses

9:15 a.m.:

The defense called Laura Gramling Perez, a circuit court judge in Milwaukee County. She was previously a court commissioner in her career.

Gramling Perez testified to her participation in an email chain with colleagues. She said Chief Judge Carl Ashley had scheduled online training about ICE at the courthouse, which she attended – but noted Dugan had trouble registering for the online training.

The judge said the training was held via Zoom, and the presenters summarized federal policy and federal law about ICE making arrests at courthouses. 

Milwaukee County Judge Katie Kegel

Government cross-examination: Arrests at courthouse

9:12 a.m.:

The government questioned Kegel about arrests in public hallways. Kegel said that her email referenced her experience of what she had in her courtroom – not related to ICE but related to what is happening in the courthouse.

Defense questioning: Email sent to colleagues

9:06 a.m.:

The defense's first witness was Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Katie Kegel.

Kegel testified to an email she sent to colleagues. It was part of an email thread, the subject of which was "ICE taking people into custody in the public hallways" at the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex.

In that email, Kegel said, "people have been snatched up out of my gallery while waiting for their hearing." She wrote asking about the development of a standing policy about "detentions of any sort from inside the courtroom."

Kegel testified that, after seeing activity in the gallery that wasn't standard, she has tried to intervene in the past. She said she saw someone who was not in law enforcement clothing, asked what was going on, looked at her deputies, and the people left the gallery. Minutes later, she said she was informed that they were part of a federal task force – not related to immigration.

Judge Adelman calls court into session

9:05 a.m.:

The 13-person jury entered the courtroom for a fourth day of testimony, with Dugan's defense team prepared to present its case. 

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. 

Bonus coverage from Thursday, Dec. 18

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. 

• Day 3: Government rests its case; key testimony from court staff
• Day 2: Fellow judge, federal agents testify about what happened
• Day 1: Opening statements; FBI agents, ICE supervisory officer testify
• Dec. 11: Judge Dugan trial: Jury seated after day of questioning
• 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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