A federal jury found Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan guilty of felony obstruction for interfering with federal agents as they sought to arrest an undocumented immigrant who came to her courtroom.
But they found her not guilty of a misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual from arrest.
Dugan attorney Steven Biskupic told reporters “the case is a long way from over” while questioning how the jury found Dugan guilty on one count, but not the other.
Dugan’s legal team says it will file a motion asking U.S. Judge Lynn Adelman to set aside the conviction. The judge gave the attorneys on both sides a few weeks to file legal briefs.
>> WisPolitics is now on the State Affairs network. Get custom keyword notifications, bill tracking and all WisPolitics content. Get the app or access via desktop.
Meanwhile, interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel called the case “a serious matter” and said it’s important that Dugan be held accountable for her actions involving Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was wanted by federal immigration agents for being in the U.S. illegally.
A half-dozen law enforcement personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies came to the hallway outside Dugan’s courtroom the morning of April 18 to arrest Flores-Ruiz. Dugan directed five of the agents to the office of county Chief Judge Carl Ashley. Meanwhile, Dugan told Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to use a private hallway to leave her courtroom.
The federal agents arrested Flores-Ruiz following a foot chase outside the courthouse. He has since been deported.
Despite the guilty verdict, Schimel, a former Republican AG, judge and state Supreme Court candidate, said Dugan is “not evil” and that the case needs to be kept in perspective.
He denied that the Trump administration, which has stepped up immigration arrests in courthouses this year, is trying to make an example of Dugan with this nationally watched case.
A Dugan spokesperson released a statement saying she was disappointed in the outcome, but that “the failure to secure convictions on both counts demonstrates the opportunity we have to clear Judge Dugan’s name and show she did nothing wrong in this matter.”
Adelman did not schedule a sentencing hearing for Dugan.
After the verdict came down, GOP U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a candidate for guv, demanded in a post on X “Now, lock her up.”
The state Supreme Court in April acted on its own to suspend Dugan with pay. The state Constitution bars those convicted of a felony from holding public office.
State Rep. Barb Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, called for Dugan to be removed from the bench and her law license revoked.
“This was shameful judicial misconduct,” Dittrich wrote on X.
— WisPolitics-State Affairs
Reporting via Chuck Quirmbach
