Closing arguments are underway in the trial of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan. Dugan was arrested in the spring, accused of helping an illegal immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, evade arrest by ICE agents.
You can read the recaps of Day One, Day Two, and Day Three here on Townhall.
This morning, the defense called several witnesses after the prosecution rested its case yesterday.
The first witness was Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Katie Kegel. Kegel told the court that she sent an email to colleagues about ICE taking suspects into custody in public hallways. Kegel claimed, "People have been snatched up out of my gallery while waiting for their hearing," and asked about the policy concerning "detentions of any sort inside the courtroom."
Kegel admitted she's intervened in the past when she's witnessed activity in the gallery.
On cross-examination, Kegel said her email detailed what happened in her courtroom, not arrests in pubic hallways.
The next witness was another Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge, Laura Gramling Perez.
Gramling Perez was part of an email chain, and she'd registered for online training about ICE at the courthouse, something scheduled by Chief Judge Carl Ashley. Gramling Perez said Dugan had trouble registering for that same training.
She said she found an email from Judge Ashley, sent after ICE made arrests in March, "unusual." Gramling Perez said her takeaway from the training was that ICE can legally conduct enforcement in public areas of courthouses. Gramling Perez pushed for a court-wide policy on ICE actions, including a requirement that ICE check in with the chief judge before conducting any enforcement.
Gramling Perez said Dugan wrote an email saying it "would be helpful" to discuss ICE-related protocols and that the courthouse was in "uncharted waters," noting that people were not showing up for court dates and that immigration attorneys had inquired about courthouse protocols.
She testified that Judge Ashley sent an email to all judges with an ICE document outlining the agency's policy attached. Gramling Perez said there is no court policy about where ICE can conduct arrests, and that the goal of any court-wide policies would be to allow lawful ICE actions.
On cross-examination, Gramling Perez said Dugan replied to an email and acknowledged that ICE could conduct arrests in public areas. She also said that while Judge Ashley had drafted a policy, it never became official.
Public defense attorney Maura Gingerich was called next. Gingerich was at the courthouse on April 18, and she tried to take pictures of people she believed were federal agents on the sixth floor. She testified that she took the pics to show them to her manager because of previous arrests in the public hallway.
Gingerich said seeing plainclothes agents in the courthouse hallways was "stressful," but testified they were not being disruptive. She said she did not see what happened involving Flores-Ruiz, but later heard from Judge Cervera that he'd been arrested.
The defense also called former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to the stand as a character witness. Barrett, a former lawyer and legislator, said he'd known Dugan for more than 50 years. He described Dugan as "extremely honest."
The defense then rested.
Dugan did not testify.
Opening arguments began this afternoon. The government attorney, Kelly Brown Watzka, told the jury that Dugan "acted corruptly" and did something judges "should not do because she did not get the courthouse policy she wanted."
Watzka said Dugan may not like ICE, but she did not have the authority to obstruct ICE. She also reminded the jury that their personal opinions about ICE should not factor into their verdict.
Watzka said the only person to blame for disruptions to the court on April 18 is Hannah Dugan, and told jurors, "No one is above the law, not even those who wear judicial robes."
Defense attorney Jason Luczak said that Dugan is innocent and that she thought she was following "correct protocols." He also said Dugan never acted corruptly, but complied with the courthouse draft policy concerning ICE.
On rebuttal, the government argued that ICE was allowed to conduct arrests in public hallways, and that Dugan concealed Flores-Ruiz from ICE as soon as she took him through a door to a non-public hallway.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman began reading jury instructions at 2 p.m. Central. It's likely jury deliberations will begin today, and we will have a verdict soon.
Townhall will keep you updated.
Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.
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