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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Opening arguments in Judge Hannah Dugan’s trial show that she has a weak case. There’s little doubt as to what she did and why she did it.
Her defense lawyer claims that for months ICE had been arriving at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, causing chaos since January. Chief Judge Carl Ashley had sent an email to the 50 judges who work at the courthouse, suggesting that the building should be a sanctuary for illegals. The chief judge had been working on a formal policy, but none had emerged from his office for four months.
One of the ICE agents say they’d received training from Judge Laura Grambling Perez, and her guidance was shared with the judges in Milwaukee. Courthouses are not sanctuaries. The guidance concluded that arrests could be made in public areas, not in actual courtrooms, and that special dispensation should be given to victims and witnesses who might be in the country illegally.
A colleague of Judge Dugan, Kristela Cervera, said that Judge Dugan tricked her. She was asked to join Dugan in contronting the ICE agents in the hallway. But she wasn’t told that in advance. Dugan asked her colleague to join her in the hall and keep her robe on. Judge Cervera said Dugan was angry.
Judge Dugan also moved the case against Eduardo Florez Ruiz up to first on her calendar that day. She was hoping the brief pre-trial hearing would be over while the ICE agents were directed down the hallway to the chief judge’s office. Judge Dugan, when showing Florez Ruiz to the side hallway near the jury room, which is not used by the public, is heard saying ‘I’ll do it, I’ll get the heat.’
This is clear and obvious. Judge Hannah Dugan knew exactly what she was doing.
And more bad news: this isn’t an all-Milwaukee jury where liberal Democrats outnumber Republicans 10-to-1. This is a federal trial, and the jury comes from the 15 surrounding counties. Surly at least some of the jurors can see what happened here, and will rule accordingly.
Chris Conley
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