Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel‘s comments about a Wisconsin judge who was arrested for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant evade arrest from federal immigration officers may not be used in an upcoming trial against the judge, a federal judge ruled.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was indicted in April on two charges of obstruction when she allegedly helped an illegal immigrant and his lawyer, who were before her court, exit her courtroom via a back door after federal agents appeared at the courthouse to arrest him. Bondi and Patel both made public comments about Dugan’s arrest in April, which her lawyers wanted to include in the trial, but U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman denied the bid.
Bondi and Patel both posted about Dugan’s arrest in April, with the FBI director posting a photo of Dugan being perp-walked with the caption “No one is above the law.”
No one is above the law pic.twitter.com/TSrQ4GNMdA
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 26, 2025
Dugan’s lawyers argued the comments showed evidence of bias in her prosecution, while the Justice Department argued they should not be used because neither Bondi nor Patel will be testifying or parties to the case.
“Without more, I agree with the government defendant should not be permitted to inject national political figures into this trial. Any slight probative value of this evidence is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury, undue delay, and wasting time,” Adelman said in his Tuesday evening order.
During the final pretrial conference in the case, the Justice Department said it expects to call 25 to 28 witnesses during the December trial. Jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin on Dec. 11, while the trial itself is set to begin on Dec. 15 in a federal courthouse in Milwaukee.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ESCAPE CASE AGAINST JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN WILL PROCEED: FEDERAL JUDGE
The trial was originally scheduled for July, but was delayed after Dugan filed a motion to dismiss the case, citing judicial immunity for her alleged actions. Adelman rejected her immunity claims in August, allowing the high-profile case to move toward a trial.
Dugan has pleaded not guilty to both charges levied against her. The maximum sentence for the pair of charges carries up to six years in prison and a $350,000 fine if convicted.