A former Wisconsin judge will not go to prison for helping a Mexican national escape immigration enforcement. That’s after a jury convicted her of felony obstruction in the case.
A U.S. District Judge sentenced Hannah Dugan to no time behind bars, but she will have to pay a $5,000 fine.
Dugan had faced five years in prison.
Courtroom incident
This all started in April 2025 at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Dugan was presiding over a domestic battery hearing involving Eduardo Flores-Ruiz.
Federal prosecutors claimed Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a nonpublic jury room exit after learning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were waiting outside the courtroom to arrest him.
While Flores-Ruiz temporarily avoided the agents inside the courthouse, officers pursued and eventually arrested him outside the building following a brief foot chase.
He was later deported.
Court case
The prosecution successfully argued Dugan intentionally interfered with a lawful federal arrest.
Dugan’s defense attorneys countered that she was attempting to preserve order and safety inside the courthouse and did not intend to obstruct law enforcement. They also argued the case represented an effort by the Trump administration to intimidate judges during its enhanced immigration enforcement.
During the sentencing, the judge said Dugan’s actions amounted to a lapse in judgment rather than evidence of criminal intent deserving incarceration.
He described her as someone with a long record of public service who “made a bad decision in the moment,” concluding that the punishment should reflect both the offense and the individual before the court.
Prosecutors argued the case warranted a significant sentence because it involved interference with federal law enforcement but did not request a specific punishment.
Other consequences
This case has already had other consequences for Dugan, including the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspending her from judicial duties.
She later resigned from the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in January after Republicans in the state Legislature threatened impeachment proceedings.
Her felony conviction also disqualifies her from serving as a Wisconsin judge unless it is overturned on appeal.
Following the sentencing, Dugan reiterated her intention to continue challenging the conviction.
Her legal team has argued throughout the case that she acted within her responsibilities as a judge and plans to appeal the verdict.
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