MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — A former Wisconsin judge is set to learn her fate Wednesday, when a federal court hands down a sentence in a case that put a spotlight on tensions between local courts and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement efforts.
Hannah Dugan, 67, who previously served as an elected judge on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, was convicted of obstructing a federal proceeding. She was acquitted on a separate, lesser charge of concealing a person from arrest. The federal trial took place in December and brought national attention to the administration’s practice of staging immigration arrests at courthouses.
According to prosecutors, Dugan directed a Mexican migrant — who had been scheduled to appear before her on misdemeanor assault charges — out through a restricted “jury door” in an effort to help him slip past federal agents waiting in a hallway just outside the courtroom.
The migrant, identified as Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, ultimately walked through a public hallway alongside his attorney and was taken into custody outside the courthouse after a brief foot chase.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman is scheduled to preside over the sentencing hearing, set to begin at 11:15 a.m. CST at the federal courthouse in Milwaukee.
Federal prosecutors did not specify a recommended sentence but argued that sentencing guidelines point to a range of 15 to 21 months behind bars. In a sentencing memorandum, they wrote that Dugan “used the power and prestige of judicial office to obstruct federal agents carrying out their lawful duties in order to help an individual evade arrest,” rather than uphold the rule of law.
Prosecutors also argued the sentence should reflect the “serious nature of her conduct and its broader impact on the justice system.”
Dugan’s legal team pushed back, disputing that the guidelines require a 15-to-21-month term. Her attorneys asked the court to sentence her to time already served, which would mean no additional prison time.
In a court filing, her defense described the incident as “isolated and unique” and argued there was “no possibility of her repeating it.” Her lawyers also noted that Dugan lost her judgeship following her conviction and contended she had been “intentionally shamed” by senior officials at the Justice Department and FBI after her arrest in April 2025.
FBI Director Kash Patel drew criticism after posting a photo on social media in April 2025 showing a handcuffed Dugan being escorted into a police vehicle, accompanied by the caption, “no one is above the law.”
