MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN — A Wisconsin judge was found guilty Thursday night of obstruction for helping a Mexican immigrant evade federal authorities inside a courthouse, delivering a rare criminal conviction against a sitting judge amid the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement push.
A federal jury convicted Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan on the obstruction charge after roughly six hours of deliberations, while acquitting her of a separate charge of concealing an individual from arrest. The obstruction conviction carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, though first-time offenders rarely receive the maximum penalty.
Prosecutors said Dugan intentionally interfered with a planned arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was in the United States without permanent legal status and was scheduled to appear before her on misdemeanor battery charges. Federal agents were waiting outside the courtroom to arrest him. Instead, prosecutors argued, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz out a private courtroom exit and directed agents to consult with the chief judge, buying him time to flee.
Courtroom audio played at trial captured Dugan telling her court reporter she would “get the heat” for her actions. Agents later testified they had to pursue Flores-Ruiz through traffic rather than arrest him safely inside the courthouse.
Dugan’s attorneys argued she was following courthouse protocol and attempting to de-escalate a sensitive situation, framing the prosecution as politically driven. The Trump administration has labeled Dugan an “activist judge,” a characterization her lawyers said reflected broader government overreach rather than criminal intent.
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