Last week, a federal grand jury indicted Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan on two counts stemming from an April incident where witnesses said she helped 30-year-old Mexico native Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant, evade an arrest from ICE that would have taken place outside of her courtroom.
As we’ve reported, Dugan allegedly steered Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out of her courtroom, where Flores-Ruiz had been for a pre-trial hearing on three misdemeanor counts of battery, and through the jury doorway instead of the main courtroom door, where members of ICE were waiting outside for his hearing to conclude.
Per the FBI charging document, Dugan stands accused of two U.S. Code violations: “Obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States” and “Concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.”
Dugan has pleaded not guilty. After her indictment, her attorneys filed a motion to dismiss on the grounds that “she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts.”
In an update to this story, we’re learning more about the judge selected to preside over her upcoming trial:
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman has been selected to hear the case against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who was arrested after federal authorities say she tried to help an undocumented immigrant elude arrest.Adelman’s selection came after a grand jury returned an indictment against Dugan on May 13. He was selected through a random computer-based process.
Adelman is a Clinton appointee, and one who has a history of liberal bias, according to George Washington Law School Professor Jonathan Turley:
The appointment of Judge Lynn Adelman to preside over the trial of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan is staggering. I previously wrote about Adelman’s injudicious and biased commentary. This should make for some interesting jury instructions.
In a March 2020 column, Turley detailed some of that commentary:
In a controversial law review article, District Court Judge Lynn Adelman denounced what he sees as raw ideological bias on the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, Adelman makes a better case of bias against himself than he does Chief Justice John Roberts. He unloads on Roberts as, essentially, a dishonest partisan hack. He declares the pledge by Roberts to “call the balls and strikes” a “masterpiece of disingenuousness.” Adelman attacks the five conservative justices as that “hard right majority” that has now been “actively participating in undermining American democracy.”Conversely, the voting bloc of four liberal justices on the Supreme Court appears to be a masterpiece of righteousness to Adelman. He just cannot accept that the conservative majority holds opposing but principled views on issues ranging from immigration to campaign finance to voting rights. Instead, Adelman accuses the conservative majority of diminishing the rights of “ordinary Americans” while responding “only to the wishes of a relatively small number of powerful corporations and individuals.”
“In 2017, he authored a law review article that excoriated Republican legislators and at the time Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for conservative efforts ‘to undo’ the standing ‘commitment to transparency’ in the state and other political controversies,” Turley also noted.
In a Twitter/X thread, Turley shared more information about Adelman that is very concerning:
Judge Adelman attacked Chief Justice Roberts as lying in his confirmation hearing and described Trump as “an autocrat” who is “disinclined to buck the wealthy individuals and corporations who control his party.”He was previously reversed and rebuked in a voter ID case after largely ignoring controlling precedent. For many conservatives, they may see little difference between the two judges in the case in terms of their demeanor and detachment.Judge Alderman’s public commentary is another example of how extrajudicial statements undermine the judiciary. This history should not be added to a controversial case and [raises] questions over the objectivity and neutrality of the court.
Prior to his 1997 judicial appointment, Adelman, a Democrat, served in the Wisconsin State Senate for 20 years. He also unsuccessfully tried to run for Congress three times in the 1970s and 80s.
So… it’s looking like Dugan might be let off the hook because Adelman has a strong case of Trump Derangement Syndrome:
The pre-trial date is July 9th. Assuming it gets that far, the trial is set to start on July 21st. As always, stay tuned.
-Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter/X.-
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY