Dugan's fellow judge testifies against her, says colleague's conduct 'shocked' her

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Kristela Cervera told a jury: "Judges shouldn't be helping defendants evade arrest."

The courthouse (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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A fellow Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge testified against Hannah Dugan on Tuesday afternoon, telling a federal jury that her colleague’s conduct “shocked” her.

“Judges shouldn’t be helping defendants evade arrest,” Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Kristela Cervera told a jury.

After a parade of law enforcement witnesses on Tuesday morning, Cervera took the stand and tore into her colleague on the Circuit Court bench.

On April 18, Dugan and Cervera were the ones who confronted federal agents about their planned arrest of a defendant in Dugan’s courtroom: Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant charged with domestic violence.

Cervera said that it was Dugan’s idea that they wear robes in the hallway during the confrontation, and the witness agreed with the prosecutor that surveillance footage showed Cervera’s discomfort with their attire. She said it was unusual for them to wear their robes outside the courtroom.

“Does a judicial robe signify a certain degree of formality and authority?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Watzka asked.

“To me it does,” Cervera replied, adding that it also does to the public.

During the confrontation, Dugan asked the officers for a judicial warrant. Deportation officer Joseph Vasconcellos replied that he had an administrative warrant, and Cervera said that Dugan repeatedly insisted upon one signed by a judge.

Asked if she was comfortable with Dugan’s tone, Cervera said: “I thought she could be a bit more diplomatic at that point.”

Dugan was appointed to the bench in 2016, five years earlier than Gov. Tony Evers (D) appointed Cervera in 2021.

On cross-examination, Dugan’s attorney Steven Biskupic pressed Cervera about whether she told the officers that she agreed with Dugan’s assessment about the validity of an administrative warrant. Cervera agreed that she did. Dugan referred the officers to Chief Judge Carl Ashley’s office and told Cervera to escort them there. Prosecutors suggest that this was a ruse to clear the hallway of federal agents for the defendant to leave.

Cervera testified that she felt “abandoned” when she saw Dugan back on the bench as her own case backlog grew.

“I don’t like to keep the public waiting longer than necessary,” Cervera told the jury.

The witness testified that defense attorneys reacted strangely upon her return: One, she said, pumped his fist in the air, and another said she was “GOAT-ed,” using the acronym for the “greatest of all time.”

When Cervera appeared confused, the attorney thought she didn’t know the acronym, but the witness said that she didn’t know why the lawyer called her that.

Delivering his cross-examination in short and sharp questions, Biskupic suggested that Cervera left out important information in her grand jury testimony. Cervera agreed that she warned her sister that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were coming to the courthouse.

Biskupic pointedly asked whether it was a “coincidence” that her sister had a hearing in the building the next day.

If her sister did have a hearing, Cervera insisted, she didn’t know about it.

The government’s case remains ongoing with other witness testimony.