On Friday, May 30, 2025, ABC 7 Chicago reported that attorneys for Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan filed an expanded motion to dismiss criminal charges against her.
Dugan was arrested in April 2025, accused of assisting an individual in evading federal immigration authorities at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
The incident occurred on April 18, 2025, when Eduardo Flores Ruiz arrived at the courthouse for a domestic abuse hearing. Security footage captured Flores Ruiz and his attorney walking toward Dugan’s courtroom on the sixth floor, passing plain-clothed federal agents waiting to detain him.
According to a criminal complaint, a court official informed Dugan of the agents’ presence. Dugan then approached the agents, leading to a disagreement over the validity of their warrant to arrest Flores Ruiz.
The complaint alleges Dugan directed the agents to the chief judge’s office, pointing them toward a double door. She also instructed additional agents down the hall to follow. Meanwhile, Flores Ruiz and his attorney exited the courtroom through a different door, heading toward the elevators.
Unnoticed by Dugan, another plain-clothed agent signaled a colleague to follow Flores Ruiz. Security video shows Flores Ruiz leaving the courthouse through a basement exit onto Ninth Street. Agents pursued him, and after a brief attempt to flee across 10th Street, Flores Ruiz was apprehended.
Dugan’s legal team argues her actions fell within her official judicial duties, seeking dismissal of the charges. The government has until June 9, 2025, to respond to the motion. Dugan’s trial is scheduled for July 2025.
Newly released video evidence from the incident, showing interactions outside the courtroom, was made public earlier in May, providing further details of the events leading to Dugan’s arrest.
Source: ABC 7 Chicago
