Federal Judge Rejects Plea Talks, Greenlights Trial for Wisconsin Colleague Accused of Shielding Undocumented Immigrant

Madison, Wis. — November 26, 2025

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman ruled Wednesday that the high-stakes trial of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan will proceed as scheduled next month, dismissing ongoing discussions of a potential plea deal.

Dugan, 52, faces federal charges of obstruction of justice and concealing an individual to prevent arrest—felonies that could land her behind bars for up to six years if convicted. The accusations stem from an April incident in her Milwaukee courtroom, where prosecutors allege she deliberately intervened to help 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant facing a routine state battery charge, slip away from waiting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

According to court filings, Flores-Ruiz appeared before Dugan for his misdemeanor hearing when federal authorities, tipped off about his immigration status, moved to detain him outside the courtroom. In a move her defense team hails as a principled stand for judicial independence, Dugan reportedly escorted Flores-Ruiz through an alternate exit, allowing him to evade capture. He remained at large for months until the Department of Homeland Security announced his deportation earlier this month.

During a tense pretrial hearing in Madison's federal courthouse, Adelman instructed both sides to prepare for jury selection on December 11, effectively sidelining U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel's recent overtures for a negotiated resolution. "Assume the trial will go forward," Adelman declared, according to sources familiar with the proceedings. Schimel had acknowledged last week that plea talks were in motion, but Dugan's legal team, led by veteran defense attorney Craig Biskupic, rebuffed them outright, maintaining her innocence and framing the episode as a lawful exercise of her courtroom authority.

The prosecution, undeterred, outlined an aggressive case-building strategy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling revealed plans to summon 25 to 28 witnesses, including ICE agents and eyewitnesses to the courthouse chaos, while Biskupic noted the introduction of roughly 30 minutes of audio recordings captured inside Dugan's chambers. To counter the case's wall-to-wall media coverage—fueled by partisan firestorms—Biskupic pushed for enhanced juror screening, including on-the-spot bias questionnaires. Adelman approved the measure, citing persistent publicity as a risk to impartiality.

Dugan's April indictment has ignited a broader conflagration in the national debate over immigration enforcement, particularly amid President Donald Trump's aggressive second-term push for mass deportations and border fortifications. Democrats, including Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, have decried the charges as a blatant attempt to intimidate judges who resist federal overreach, with Baldwin tweeting last spring: "This is what happens when you stand up to bullies in badges— they come for your robe next." Civil liberties groups like the ACLU have rallied to Dugan's side, filing amicus briefs that argue her actions protected due process in a state-level proceeding, not federal custody.

The Trump administration, however, has painted Dugan as a rogue "activist judge" undermining the rule of law. Official social media accounts from the Department of Justice amplified her arrest with stark images of the judge in handcuffs being marched from the courthouse, captions branding the episode as "judicial sabotage" in service of "open borders radicals." Supporters of the crackdown, including Wisconsin GOP leaders, have echoed the sentiment, with state Rep. Janel Brandtjen calling for Dugan's immediate disbarment in a fiery op-ed published Tuesday.

As the December trial date looms, the case has drawn parallels to other flashpoints in the immigration wars, from sanctuary city standoffs to clashes over courtroom access for federal agents. Legal experts predict a protracted battle, with appeals likely regardless of the verdict. For now, Dugan—suspended without pay from her bench—remains free on bond, vowing through her attorneys to fight what they call a "politically motivated witch hunt."

The proceedings will unfold in Adelman's courtroom, where the stakes extend far beyond one judge's fate: At issue is whether the scales of justice can balance federal might against local autonomy in an era of unrelenting border tensions. As one anonymous Milwaukee court observer put it, "This isn't just about a backdoor exit—it's about who gets to hold the keys to the courthouse." 17GEN4.com