Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has promptly responded to a federal indictment with a motion to dismiss, her legal team highlighting judicial immunity and states' rights as the foundations of their defense. According to reports from The Journal Sentinel, the motion, filed yesterday, references a ruling involving former President Trump, asserting that "Judges are entitled to absolute immunity for their judicial acts, without regard to the motive with which those acts are allegedly performed." Furthermore, Dugan's lawyers argue that the charging of a state judge for actions taken in their court encroaches upon the 10th Amendment, thus constituting a federal overreach.
Conflicting with these assertions of immunity and constitutional protections is the indictment announced the prior Tuesday, implying that Judge Dugan attempted to obstruct federal agents from arresting Eduardo Flores Ruiz, a defendant who had appeared in her courtroom on April 18 and while the specifics of the allegations include the accusation that Dugan directed immigration agents to the Chief Judge's office instead of the location of the planned arrest, also advising Ruiz and his attorney to exit through a non-public door, as recounted by FOX 6 News.
Amidst this legal fray, Judge Dugan and her legal representation maintain her innocence, Dugan's team declaring to WISN 12 News, "Judge Dugan asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court." Dugan argues that, under the Constitution’s separation of powers, a state judge’s courtroom decisions should not be subject to federal prosecution
