A Milwaukee County Circuit judge was found guilty of felony obstruction on Thursday for obstructing the arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican man who was charged in March with three counts of battery-domestic abuse-infliction of injury.
Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested in April on charges of impeding an immigration arrest and hiding a person to prevent his arrest.
The jury deliberated for six hours before delivering a split verdict, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; while finding her guilty of the felony, they found Dugan not guilty of a misdemeanor charge of concealing a wanted person.
The trial received national attention as it became a flashpoint in the growing tension between the Trump administration and the judiciary.
Following the verdict, Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Brad Schimel said the case wasn’t used to make an example out of Dugan.
Dugan “is certainly not evil nor is she a martyr for some greater cause,” he said. “It was a criminal case, like many that make their way through this courthouse every day, and we all must accept the verdict peacefully.”
However, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche posted the following on X:
“Former Wisconsin state judge Hannah Dugan betrayed her oath and the people she served when she obstructed federal law enforcement during an immigration enforcement operation. Today, a federal jury of her peers found her guilty and sent a clear message: the American people respect law and order. Nobody is above the law. This Department will not tolerate obstruction, will enforce federal immigration law, and will hold criminals to account - even those who wear robes. Thank you to the men and women who keep us safe. We will always protect you.”
The complaint alleged that the Milwaukee ICE office was aware of Flores-Ruiz’s court hearing on April 18, when he was set to appear before Dugan. When they arrived at the courthouse with an arrest warrant in hand, the agents explained their situation to a shift sergeant, who apparently requested that any arrest be made after the court hearing concluded.
The filing said that when Dugan learned of the planned arrest, she became “visibly angry, commented that the situation was ‘absurd,’ left the bench, and entered chambers.”
Multiple witnesses reported seeing Dugan and Flores-Ruiz in close discussion, followed by her escorting him and his counsel through the jury door exit, rather than the public courtroom exit.
Dugan’s attorney, Steve Biskupic, said the case was far from over and that they would be filing a motion requesting the judge overseeing the case to set aside the conviction due to the jurors being split.
A sentencing date has not been set.