What Happened to Hannah C. Dugan?

Hannah C. Dugan, who served as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge, became the focus of a high-profile federal case stemming from an incident on April 18, 2025. On that day, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were present at the Milwaukee County courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant scheduled to appear in Dugan's courtroom for an unrelated state battery case. Dugan reportedly confronted the agents, questioned their administrative warrant, and then directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to exit her courtroom through a side door, away from the waiting agents.

The FBI subsequently opened an investigation, leading to Dugan's arrest on April 25, 2025, on two felony counts: obstruction of federal agents and concealing an individual. She pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. Her defense team initially sought to dismiss the case based on judicial immunity, arguing her actions were within her official duties.

The trial commenced in December 2025, and a federal jury ultimately found Dugan guilty of felony obstruction of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation but acquitted her of the lesser misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual. The conviction, a first for a state judge in Wisconsin on such charges, led to significant political pressure. Amid threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers, Dugan resigned from her position on January 3, 2026, stating her resignation was to prevent the court's leadership from becoming embroiled in a partisan fight and to ensure judicial independence.

Following her conviction, Dugan's legal team made multiple attempts to overturn the verdict or secure a new trial. A key argument centered on a new ruling from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a separate Virginia case (United States v. Hernandez) in April 2026. Dugan's attorneys argued this ruling narrowed the definition of a 'pending proceeding,' suggesting that ICE enforcement actions, such as the one against Flores-Ruiz, did not qualify, and therefore, the jury in Dugan's trial received improper instructions. However, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, who presided over her trial, denied these motions for acquittal and reconsideration in June 2026, finding the Virginia case not sufficiently similar to Dugan's.

As of July 8, 2026, Hannah Dugan is scheduled for her sentencing hearing. Prosecutors have filed a sentencing memo suggesting a 'serious sentence,' recommending 15 to 21 months in prison, citing her violation of judicial oath and lack of remorse. Her defense, conversely, is advocating for a sentence of 'time served,' highlighting her lack of prior criminal history, public humiliation, and loss of career. They also noted that Flores-Ruiz, the immigrant involved, was eventually arrested, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the U.S., and was deported in November 2025. Regardless of the sentence, Dugan's attorneys have indicated their intent to appeal the case to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.