The trial is set to begin on December 11
Milwaukee County Circuit judge Hannah Dugan is set to be tried next month on charges that she unlawfully assisted an immigrant in escaping federal agents, reported the Associated Press.
At a hearing held on Wednesday November 26, Wisconsin federal judge Lynn Adelman told Dugan’s attorneys and prosecutors to assume that the trial would commence on December 11 with jury selection as planned. According to US attorney Brad Schimel, Dugan did not appear interested in making a plea agreement during negotiations last week.
Nonetheless, the possibility of a deal was not raised during the hearing, which concentrated on jury selection and trial procedure logistics.
Dugan was arrested on April 25 on charges of concealing a person from arrest and obstruction of proceedings. She supposedly blocked immigration agents who sought to take undocumented immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz into custody by allowing Flores-Ruiz to exit her courtroom through a jury door.
A federal grand jury indicted Dugan on the charges in May. If convicted in court, she could be jailed for six years.
Dugan’s lead attorney, Steven Biskupic, informed Adelman that both parties had stricken 34 possible jurors over their responses to a questionnaire determining political bias. Both parties indicated that they would require two days to narrow down the 90-something candidates remaining.
Adelman consented to Biskupic’s request that potential jurors complete another questionnaire about biases going into the courtroom during jury selection, given the media attention on the case. Biskupic also said the government intended to introduce about 30 minutes’ worth of recordings made in Dugan’s courtroom, according to AP News.
Assistant US attorney Richard Frohling told the judge the government planned to present 25-28 witnesses. He said the government’s side of the case would require a minimum of four days.
After the hearing, neither side made comments to the media.
The Department of Homeland Security revealed this month that Flores-Ruiz had been deported.
