Madison, Wisconsin.. Plea negotiations with the accused Wisconsin judge Helping an immigrant evade federal agents The new federal prosecutor overseeing the case said Tuesday that proceedings are underway as her trial approaches.
Interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel told The Associated Press in a phone interview that attorneys are “discussing potential resolution” of the case against Milwaukee District Judge Hannah Duggan, but her attorneys have not shown a willingness to accept any offer.
A plea agreement would represent a surprise relief by prosecutors in a case that has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s sweeping anti-immigration campaign. Schimmel said plea negotiations are part of “a normal process of resolving the case and eliminating risks for both sides, to find a logical solution. That’s all.”
Dogan’s defense lawyers said she is innocent and are preparing for trial next month.
According to court documents, federal agents learned in April that an immigrant who was in the country illegally was scheduled to appear before Duggan in a battery case in the state. Agents traveled to the Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest the man, 31-year-old Eduardo Flores Ruiz.
Duggan learned that agents were in the courtroom and escorted Flores-Ruiz out of the courtroom through a private door. Flores Ruiz managed to make his way outside, but agents caught him after a foot chase. The US Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday that… They were deported.
Duggan was arrested in court a week after the manhunt and was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of obstructing and concealing an individual to prevent arrest in May. Duggan argued she did nothing wrong She has full authority over movement in the courtroom.
Her trial is scheduled to begin on December 15. She could face up to six years in prison if convicted.
Dugan’s indictment intensified the clash between the Trump administration and local authorities over the Republican Party A massive crackdown on immigration.
Democrats accused the Trump administration of trying to make an example of Duggan to mitigate judicial opposition to the crackdown. The administration worked to distort its reputation on social media. FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo on the social media platform X of Duggan being led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. The US Department of Homeland Security posted on X last week that Duggan took the term “activist judge” to a whole new meaning.
U.S. Attorney Pamela Bondi on Monday appointed Schimmel as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He replaces Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Froehling, who prosecuted the case against Duggan. Schimel served as Wisconsin’s attorney general from 2015 to 2019. He was then governor. Scott Walker appointed him to a state judgeship after he lost re-election in 2018. He ran unsuccessfully for the state Supreme Court last spring.
John Vaudreuil, a former U.S. attorney in the Western District of Wisconsin, said he was surprised that Schimel would comment publicly on plea negotiations, saying such discussions are private and making them public could be seen as putting pressure on the defendant.
However, he said he was not surprised that negotiations took place. Vaudreuil said that during his time as U.S. attorney, his office made offers in most cases out of professional courtesy even if there appeared to be no compromise.
He added that Schimmel was likely receiving orders from the top levels of the US Department of Justice on how to deal with Dogan, making the chances of reaching a decision without a trial slim.
“If the United States Attorney says it should be a felony and it should be prison, I don’t think that’s where the defense starts,” Vaudreuil said. “When the case started, there were a lot of things said from the top that would make it difficult to come to a resolution of the case.”