Former Wisconsin judge fined in courthouse immigration obstruction case

A federal judge spared former Wisconsin judge Hannah C. Dugan from prison Tuesday and fined her $5,000 after a jury found she obstructed a federal proceeding.

The case stemmed from an April 18, 2025, confrontation at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, where federal agents arrived with an immigration-related warrant for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. Flores-Ruiz had been scheduled to appear in Dugan’s courtroom that morning on misdemeanor domestic-battery charges. Dugan led Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out through a side door, and agents later arrested him outside the courthouse.

The FBI arrested Dugan a week later, on April 25, 2025. She later resigned from the bench. On December 18, 2025, a federal jury convicted her of obstructing a federal proceeding and acquitted her of a separate misdemeanor concealment count. The felony carried a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and prosecutors said 15 to 21 months would be a reasonable sentence under federal guidelines. Dugan’s defense asked for time served, pointing to her lack of criminal history and the nonviolent nature of the conduct.

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman said prison was not warranted and that probation was unnecessary. He imposed the fine after concluding there was no indication Dugan acted for personal gain, while also saying she made a bad decision in the moment. Dugan told the court, "I’ve been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither."

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske and Jesuit priest and former law professor Rev. Gregory O’Meara spoke on Dugan’s behalf before sentencing. Federal prosecutors argued the case should send a strong message about the seriousness of obstructing immigration enforcement inside courthouses.

Adelman denied Dugan’s bid for a new trial in April 2026 and rejected further efforts to overturn the conviction in June 2026.