Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was sentenced Wednesday to pay a $5,000 fine and avoided prison after being convicted of felony obstruction for helping a Mexican defendant leave her courtroom through a private jury room door while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to arrest him.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman declined to impose prison time, describing the case as one in which “an otherwise good person,” upset by the nation’s immigration policies, made “a bad decision in the moment,” the Associated Press reported.
Dugan, 67, was convicted in December of felony obstruction. A jury acquitted her of a separate misdemeanor charge alleging she concealed an individual to prevent an arrest.
Judge Cites Courtroom Safety
Addressing the court before sentencing, Dugan said her actions were motivated by concerns about courtroom safety and maintaining order rather than an effort to defy federal authorities.
“I have been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither,” Dugan told the court, per AP.
She said she was simply trying to perform her duties as a judge and argued her actions on the day of the incident were intended to preserve “the decorum and safety of the courtroom.”
Dugan also said the prosecution and public attention surrounding the case had forced her to retire from public life because of threats made against her and her family.
Prosecutors Argued Judge Crossed the Line
Federal prosecutors maintained that Dugan abused her judicial authority by interfering with law enforcement officers attempting to carry out a lawful arrest.
“Judges are entrusted with tremendous discretion, but there is a line they cannot cross,” Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “The defendant crossed that line.”
Although federal sentencing guidelines called for 15 to 21 months in prison, prosecutors did not recommend a specific sentence, instead arguing the offense warranted a serious punishment.
Following the sentencing, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel said the outcome reinforced that judges are not exempt from the law.
“Law enforcement officers need to be able to carry out their lawful responsibilities in the manner that is safest for them, the public and the individual they are attempting to detain,” Schimel said, per AP. “Dugan’s reckless and illegal actions interfered with that goal and created unnecessary risks for all involved. For that there needed to be serious consequences.”
Defense Says She Was Punished Enough
Dugan’s attorneys argued she had already suffered significant consequences, including losing her judicial position, receiving a felony conviction, and enduring threats that forced her to relocate and withdraw from community activities.
Judge Adelman acknowledged those consequences during sentencing, noting Dugan had resigned from the Milwaukee County Circuit Court bench after nine years in office and that her actions ultimately did not prevent ICE agents from apprehending the defendant.
“This conviction affirms that no one is above the law,” Adelman said, per AP.
Defense attorney Jason Luczak said after the hearing that Dugan plans to appeal her felony conviction.
Arrest Stemmed From 2025 Courthouse Incident
The case stems from an April 18, 2025, incident at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Federal immigration officers went to the courthouse after learning Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, who authorities said had reentered the United States illegally, was scheduled to appear before Dugan in a state battery case.
According to trial testimony, Dugan confronted ICE agents outside her courtroom and directed them to the chief judge’s office, arguing their administrative warrant was insufficient to make an arrest inside the courthouse.
After the agents left the immediate area, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a private jury room exit. ICE agents later spotted Flores-Ruiz in a courthouse corridor, pursued him outside the building and arrested him after a brief foot chase.
One week later, FBI agents arrested Dugan at the courthouse.
Case Became Political Flashpoint
During trial, Dugan’s attorneys argued the Trump administration sought to “crush” her to discourage judges from interfering with ICE operations at courthouses.
Dugan resigned from the bench in January after Republican lawmakers threatened impeachment, calling her an activist judge. In her resignation letter, she argued the prosecution endangered “the independence of our judiciary.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for Wisconsin governor, had publicly called for Dugan to be imprisoned.
Provided by Dallas Express
