Former Wisconsin judge receives $5,000 fine and no jail time after obstructing ICE agents
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A federal judge sentenced former Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan to a $5,000 fine but no imprisonment for felony obstruction after she helped a Mexican defendant evade ICE agents in her courtroom.
A federal judge on Wednesday fined former Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan $5,000 and ordered no period of incarceration after she was convicted of felony obstruction for helping a Mexican defendant avoid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in her courtroom. Dugan, 67, resigned from the bench in January amid impeachment threats from state lawmakers and was found guilty in December.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman said Dugan’s conduct represented “a few minutes of conduct for someone who has dedicated her life to public service” and noted her loss of employment, felony conviction and threats against her family as mitigating factors.
Prosecutors had argued that Dugan violated her oath and put law-enforcement officers at risk, describing the conduct as a serious offense. Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling wrote that judges “are entrusted with tremendous discretion, but there is a line they cannot cross.”
During sentencing, Dugan told the court she acted to preserve courtroom decorum and safety, adding that she is “a public servant who’s just trying to do my job.” Two Marquette University law professors and a former state Supreme Court justice testified on her behalf, describing her as a defender of oppressed people.
The jury acquitted Dugan of a lesser misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual. Under federal guidelines the recommended sentence ranged from 15 to 21 months, but the judge exercised discretion to impose only the fine.
The incident, which occurred in April 2025, involved Dugan directing ICE agents away from the courtroom and then escorting the defendant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, out through a private door. Agents later apprehended Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse; he was deported in November. Dugan’s attorneys said they will appeal the conviction.