MILWAUKEE — The federal case against Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan is entering an important phase as jury selection begins for her December 15 trial.
Dugan is accused of helping an undocumented immigrant, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, avoid arrest by federal ICE agents. Ruiz is expected to be deported soon. The case has drawn significant attention as it involves a sitting judge facing federal charges.
Watch: Federal case against Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan reaches key phase
Lawyers from both the government and defense appeared in federal court Thursday to lay important groundwork for finding a jury. The process started with detailed questionnaires sent to potential jurors across a 12-county area in southeast Wisconsin.
So far,114 people have returned written responses out of 128 sent to potential jurors. That number will be reduced as lawyers from each side get chances to strike potential jurors from the list. The goal is to have a potential jury pool of a few dozen when final jury selection begins Dec. 11, just days before the trial.
The court needs 12 jurors with two to three alternates for the trial.
One challenge in finding jurors is the trial's timing during the holiday season, beginning just 10 days before Christmas. The trial has the potential of lasting four to five days.
Public access limited
The public will have limited ability to watch the proceedings. Unlike state court cases, cameras are not allowed in federal courtrooms. However, there will be limited space open to the public to watch or listen to the trial inside the federal courthouse.
Dugan has not been required to attend the pre-trial hearings and has not appeared at all of them. She will be required to attend the trial.
The judge remains suspended from her bench duties at Milwaukee County while awaiting trial. She continues to receive her $174,500 salary during the suspension.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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