A former Wisconsin circuit judge, Hannah Dugan, was sentenced on Wednesday to a $5,000 fine for her role in obstructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a Milwaukee courthouse. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman opted against prison time for the 67-year-old, characterizing the incident as a lapse in judgment by an otherwise well-regarded individual who acted out of frustration with national immigration policies.
The incident occurred on April 18, 2025, when immigration officers arrived at the Milwaukee County courthouse to arrest 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was scheduled for a hearing in a state battery case and had previously reentered the country illegally. Dugan initially confronted the agents outside her courtroom, directing them to the chief judge’s office and questioning the validity of their administrative warrant. After the agents departed, she escorted Flores-Ruiz and his legal counsel through a private jury room door. Despite this, agents spotted the defendant in the corridor, followed him outside, and successfully executed the arrest after a foot chase. Flores-Ruiz was subsequently deported in November.
In December, a jury convicted Dugan of felony obstruction, though she was acquitted of a separate misdemeanor charge related to concealing an individual to prevent arrest. During her sentencing, Dugan maintained that her actions were intended to preserve courtroom decorum and safety rather than to act with malice. She noted that the experience has led her to retire from public life due to threats against her and her family. Her attorney, Jason Luczak, stated that they intend to appeal the felony conviction.
The prosecution, led by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling, argued that while Dugan suffered collateral consequences such as the loss of her judgeship and personal threats, the court had to affirm that no one is above the law. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel added that Dugan’s actions created unnecessary risks for law enforcement and the public. During her nine-year tenure, Dugan faced significant political pressure, including threats of impeachment from Republican lawmakers and public criticism from GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany.
Dugan had resigned her position in January, writing in her resignation letter that the prosecution posed a threat to judicial independence. While federal sentencing guidelines suggested a range of 15 to 21 months in prison, Judge Adelman, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1997, was not bound by these recommendations. Adelman emphasized that while the offense was serious, he recognized the personal and professional toll the case had already exacted on the former judge.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan leaves the federal courthouse after a hearing in Milwaukee on May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File)
Associated Press contributors include Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa. Bauer reported from Madison, Wisconsin.
