A high-profile courtroom showdown in Wisconsin ended with a stunning verdict this week, as a Milwaukee County judge was convicted of obstructing federal agents during an attempted arrest at the courthouse she presided over.
According to Fox News, Judge Hannah Dugan, who served Milwaukee County Circuit Court, was found guilty by a federal jury on a felony obstruction charge tied to a confrontation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents earlier this year. She now faces up to five years in prison.
The case centered on an April 18 encounter involving Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who appeared in Dugan’s courtroom that day.
Prosecutors argued that the judge alerted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to the presence of ICE agents waiting to serve him with a warrant. They then exited her courtroom through a back door, avoiding the agents entirely.
Federal authorities said the move was deliberate.
Jurors deliberated for six hours before delivering the guilty verdict on the obstruction charge. However, Dugan was acquitted of a second count — a misdemeanor charge accusing her of concealing an individual to prevent arrest.
Her legal team responded swiftly, signaling a long fight ahead.
“While we are disappointed in today’s outcome, the failure of the prosecution to secure convictions on both counts demonstrates the opportunity we have to clear Judge Dugan’s name and show she did nothing wrong in this matter,” her attorneys said in a statement. “We have planned for this potential outcome and our defense of Judge Dugan is just beginning.”
They also emphasized that preparing her case required significant time and resources, adding that public support for her defense fund “is critical as we prepare for the next phase of this defense.”
Federal officials pushed back against any suggestion that politics played a role.
Interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel urged calm in the aftermath.
“[Dugan] is certainly not evil nor is she a martyr for some greater cause,” he said. “It was a criminal case, like many that make their way through this courthouse every day, and we all must accept the verdict peacefully.”
He stressed that prosecutors “weren’t trying to make an example out of anyone,” adding, “This was necessary to hold Judge Dugan accountable in our assessment because of the action she took.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a sharp rebuke as well.
“[Dugan] betrayed her oath and the people she served,” he wrote on X. “Nobody is above the law. This Department will not tolerate obstruction, will enforce federal immigration law, and will hold criminals to account — even those who wear robes.”
The conviction already carries immediate consequences beyond sentencing. Under Wisconsin law, Dugan is no longer eligible to hold public office.
She had previously been suspended from the bench with pay — about $175,000 per year — following her arrest in April. Whether that status will change now remains unclear, as her defense team prepares to appeal.
For now, one thing is certain: a Milwaukee judge once tasked with upholding the law will soon stand before it herself, facing a sentence that could reshape the rest of her life.
