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A federal jury found Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan guilty of obstructing federal immigration agents during an attempt to serve an arrest warrant at a courthouse earlier this year. Dugan was convicted on a felony obstruction charge but acquitted on a separate misdemeanor count of concealing an individual to prevent arrest.
The verdict followed approximately six hours of jury deliberations in federal court in Milwaukee, Fox News reported. Dugan now faces up to five years in prison on the felony charge, though a sentencing date has not yet been set.
The case stems from an April 18 incident involving Eduardo Flores Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant who was scheduled to appear in Dugan’s courtroom on an unrelated misdemeanor domestic assault charge.
Federal prosecutors said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were present in the courthouse that day to arrest Flores Ruiz on an immigration warrant for illegal reentry into the United States.
According to court filings and trial testimony, Dugan became aware that plainclothes ICE agents were inside the building and attempting to locate Flores Ruiz.
Prosecutors alleged that Dugan confronted the agents in a hallway outside her courtroom, questioned the legitimacy of their warrant, and told them to speak with the chief judge before proceeding.
The government argued that this interaction delayed the agents and interfered with their efforts to carry out the arrest.
Prosecutors further alleged that after the hallway encounter, Dugan informed Flores Ruiz’s attorney of the ICE presence and helped the attorney and defendant exit the courtroom through a private back door normally reserved for jurors.
Flores Ruiz was later spotted by agents inside the courthouse and arrested outside the building following a brief foot pursuit.
He was subsequently deported after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States and resolving the underlying misdemeanor charge.
During the trial, Dugan’s defense team argued that she was acting within her judicial role and following courthouse protocols, not intentionally obstructing law enforcement.
Defense attorneys claimed Dugan was attempting to maintain courtroom order and ensure the safety of those present, not shield Flores Ruiz from arrest.
The jury ultimately rejected that argument on the felony obstruction count while acquitting her on the concealment charge.
In a statement following the verdict, Dugan’s defense team said it was disappointed by the outcome but emphasized that prosecutors failed to secure convictions on all counts.
The defense said it plans to pursue post trial motions and an appeal, calling the verdict an early stage in a longer legal fight.
Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Brad Schimel said the case should not be viewed as political or symbolic.
Schimel said Dugan was neither a villain nor a martyr and described the case as a routine criminal matter that should be accepted peacefully.
He also said prosecutors were not trying to make an example of a judge but were enforcing the law as they would in any other case.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reacted to the verdict by saying Dugan betrayed her oath and the public trust.
Blanche said the verdict sent a clear message that no one is above the law, including public officials and members of the judiciary.
Dugan was arrested by the FBI in April and released on her own recognizance shortly afterward.
Later that month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended her with pay pending the outcome of the criminal case.
At the time of her suspension, Dugan was earning an annual salary of approximately $175,000. Under Wisconsin law, a felony conviction makes an individual ineligible to hold public office, meaning Dugan can no longer serve as a judge.
It remains unclear whether the Wisconsin Supreme Court will take additional disciplinary action while the appeals process moves forward, reports said.
