Last month, federal agents arrested a Wisconsin state judge on allegations that she knowingly and willfully aided a criminally-charged illegal alien in attempting to evade capture by other federal immigration agents who were waiting for him outside the judge's courtroom.

During a preliminary hearing on Thursday, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan pleaded not guilty to a pair of federal charges related to the incident and further moved to have the case summarily dismissed, UPI reported.

That perhaps came as a surprise to FBI Director Kash Patel, who personally noted Dugan's arrest on suspicion of obstruction at the time it occurred and likely hoped to make an example out of her as a warning to other judges who may contemplate acting similarly to thwart the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Judge arrested, charged

On April 18, Judge Dugan was scheduled to preside over a hearing involving Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was in the U.S. illegally and facing misdemeanor domestic abuse charges, when she learned that federal agents were waiting outside her courtroom to take him into custody.

The judge angrily confronted the federal agents in the hallway and sent them to go speak with the courthouse's chief judge. Meanwhile, she then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out of the jury's door in hopes of evading the waiting agents, but he was nevertheless spotted and ultimately taken into custody following a brief foot chase.

Dugan was later arrested on April 25, at which time FBI Director Patel wrote on X, "We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject -- an illegal alien -- to evade arrest."

Not guilty plea entered

Less than three weeks later, according to NBC News, Dugan was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury on a pair of charges that included obstructing a federal proceeding and concealing an individual from arrest.

The Washington Post reported that Judge Dugan entered a not guilty plea during Thursday's brief hearing, which was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Dries, who then proceeded to schedule a trial for July.

The case is now assigned to U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, a Bill Clinton appointee, who previously served as a Democratic state senator in Wisconsin and was once "admonished" by a judicial ethics panel for publishing an article that sharply criticized the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court and accused the justices of "undermining American democracy."

Dugan moves to dismiss

Notably, the trial scheduled for Judge Dugan in July may not actually occur, if her motion to dismiss the charges is ruled upon favorably by the judge.

Dugan, who ironically enough cited last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on immunity from prosecution for President Donald Trump, claims that she is immune from prosecution for her official acts as a judge.

"Even if (contrary to what the trial evidence would show) Judge Dugan took the actions the complaint alleges, these plainly were judicial acts for which she has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution," the motion argued. "Judges are empowered to maintain control over their courtrooms specifically and the courthouse generally."

Outcome could prove pivotal

If Judge Dugan's motion to dismiss is successful, it would undoubtedly encourage other liberal judges to similarly act to obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws and to aid and abet criminal illegal aliens in dodging accountability.

However, should that motion fail, and Dugan is ultimately found guilty of violating federal laws, other judges would certainly take notice and presumably be dissuaded from helping illegal aliens evade justice.