Wisc Judge Resigns After Conviction for Helping Illegal Alien Escape Arrest
A Wisconsin circuit court judge, Hannah Dugan, resigned after a federal jury convicted her of obstruction in a case connected to an incident at the Milwaukee County courthouse. Dugan submitted her resignation letter to Tony Evers, the governor of Wisconsin, shortly after the verdict. Officials confirmed the governor’s office received the letter and said steps would be taken quickly to fill the vacant judicial seat. Republican lawmakers had already begun preparing possible impeachment proceedings before her resignation.
The conviction followed a trial in federal court in Milwaukee, where jurors found Dugan guilty of felony obstruction after several hours of deliberation. The case stemmed from an April 18 incident involving federal immigration authorities at the Milwaukee County courthouse.
According to prosecutors, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived at the courthouse intending to arrest Eduardo Flores Ruiz, a 31-year-old Mexican national. Flores Ruiz had allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was scheduled to appear in court on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge. Federal agents waited outside Dugan’s courtroom to execute an arrest warrant during his court appearance.
Prosecutors argued that Dugan confronted the agents in the hallway and questioned their administrative warrant. She reportedly directed them to speak with the courthouse’s chief judge, which delayed the planned arrest. Authorities said Dugan then alerted Flores Ruiz’s attorney about the agents’ presence and escorted the defendant and his lawyer through a private jury door typically used by jurors and court staff.
Although the agents initially missed him, they later spotted Flores Ruiz inside the courthouse. Officers pursued him outside the building and arrested him after a brief chase.
During the trial, Dugan’s defense attorneys argued she acted within her duties as a judge and was simply trying to maintain order and follow courthouse procedures. The jury ultimately rejected that argument regarding the obstruction charge. However, jurors acquitted her of a separate misdemeanor count of concealing a person to prevent arrest.
The felony conviction could carry a prison sentence of up to five years.
The case also prompted strong political reactions. Robin Vos, speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, praised Dugan’s decision to resign, saying it followed the state constitution. Meanwhile, Ann Jacobs defended Dugan, stating she remained dedicated to justice and suggesting the resignation would help keep the judiciary out of political conflict.
In her resignation letter, Dugan described the prosecution as unprecedented and warned it could raise concerns about judicial independence.