Former Milwaukee judge Hannah Dugan sentenced to $5,000 fine for obstructing arrest of immigrant
Jul 08, 2026
Former Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of felony obstruction for helping an undocumented immigrant evade federal officers in a case that highlighted President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown, was se
ntenced to a $5,000 fine in federal court Wednesday.Dugan will not serve any prison time and was not sentenced to probation. She now has 14 days to decide whether or not to appeal the conviction.WATCH: Former Milwaukee judge Dugan sentenced to $5,000 fine for obstructing arrest: Former Milwaukee judge Dugan sentenced to $5,000 fine for obstructing arrestDugan, 67, faced up to five years in prison after a jury convicted her on Dec. 19. She resigned from her position as a Milwaukee County circuit judge two weeks later amid threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers. She had been a judge for nine years.Trump administration tried to make an example out of Milwaukee judgeThe Trump administration brought the case against Dugan as the president pressed ahead with his sweeping immigration crackdown. Trump's administration and his allies branded Dugan as an activist judge, while Dugans attorneys said during the trial that the Trump administration was trying to make an example out of Dugan to crush her.Immigrant rights advocates and other Dugan allies argued that the administration was trying to use her case to blunt judicial opposition to Trump's immigration efforts. The case became a bellwether nationally in the conflict between the judiciary and Trump's immigration crackdown.Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a fierce Trump loyalist running for Wisconsin governor, urged authorities to lock her up in a social media post following her conviction.Dugan's attorneys declined to comment ahead of the sentencing. Dugan did not testify during her trial, but her attorneys said she would be making comments to the court on Wednesday. That would be her first public comments on the case in more than a year.Prosecutors push for serious sentenceDugan's attorneys argued that as a judge she was immune from prosecution. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, who will hand down the sentence, has rejected attempts by Dugan to vacate her obstruction conviction.Prosecutors argued in a sentencing memo filed last week that Dugan violated her oath as a judge and put both law enforcement and the public at risk.Judges are entrusted with tremendous discretion, but there is a line they cannot cross, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling wrote. The defendant crossed that line.Dugans attorneys argued she has punished enough, including resigning as a judge and facing threats of violence. They argued in her sentencing memo that she should not be sentenced to any jail time besides the part of one day she already spent in federal custody.Under federal sentencing guidelines, the presentence report calls for 15 to 21 months behind bars. The judge is not bound by those guidelines.Prosecutors said the average sentence for obstruction cases is 16 months, but they did not recommend a sentence.This was a serious offense, and it warrants a correspondingly serious sentence, Frohling wrote.No matter what she is sentenced to, Dugan's attorneys said they plan to file an appeal.Dugan's case was a first for WisconsinDugan's case marked the first time that a state judge in Wisconsin went to trial on charges of obstructing immigration agents. She was found not guilty of concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor.On April 18, 2025, immigration officers went to the Milwaukee County courthouse after learning 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case.Dugan confronted agents outside her courtroom and directed them to the chief judge's office because she told them their administrative warrant wasnt sufficient grounds to arrest Flores-Ruiz.After the agents left, she led Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, followed him outside and arrested him after a foot chase. A week later, FBI agents arrested Dugan in the courthouse, leading her outside in handcuffs.Flores-Ruiz was deported in November.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip
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