A federal jury has found a Milwaukee County judge guilty of obstructing federal immigration agents during an attempted arrest inside a courthouse earlier this year.
The jury convicted Judge Hannah Dugan on one felony count of impeding a proceeding but acquitted her on a lesser misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual to prevent arrest. The verdict was reached after roughly six hours of deliberations Thursday evening at the federal courthouse in Milwaukee.
The felony obstruction conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, though legal experts say incarceration would be highly unusual given the circumstances and the judge’s lack of a criminal record. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman will determine sentencing at a later date.
Under Wisconsin law, the conviction makes the judge ineligible to hold public office. She was suspended with pay earlier this year by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and it remains unclear whether that status will change while appeals are pursued.
The case stems from an April 18 incident in which federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who authorities said had reentered the United States illegally and was scheduled to appear for a hearing.
Prosecutors said the judge became aware that plainclothes ICE agents were waiting outside her courtroom and confronted them in a hallway. According to court filings, she told agents their administrative warrant was insufficient and directed them away from the area toward the chief judge’s office.
While agents were gone, prosecutors said Judge Hannah Dugan addressed Flores-Ruiz’s case off the record, allowed his attorney to arrange a future appearance by Zoom, and then escorted both men out of the courtroom through a private jury door. Agents later spotted Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse and arrested him following a foot chase through traffic.
Surveillance video released by Milwaukee County showed Judge Hannah Dugan, wearing her black judicial robes, confronting federal agents in the courthouse hallway.
Federal prosecutors argued the judge knowingly abused her authority to interfere with a lawful arrest and undermined the neutrality of the justice system. Audio recordings from her courtroom were played during trial, including one in which the judge told a court reporter she would “take the heat” for leading Flores-Ruiz out the back.
Defense attorneys argued the judge was following courthouse protocol and did not intentionally obstruct law enforcement. They described the case as government overreach and said the verdict was inconsistent.
“This case is a long way from over,” defense attorney Steve Biskupic said after the verdict, questioning how jurors could convict on one charge while acquitting on another with overlapping elements.
Statement from U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi:
NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. No one can obstruct law enforcement as they carry out their basic duties. This Department of Justice will not waver as our agents and law enforcement partners continue to make America Safe Again.
Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Brad Schimel said the case was not political and urged the public to accept the verdict peacefully.
“The defendant is certainly not evil, nor is she a martyr for some greater cause,” Schimel said. “This was a criminal case like many that come through this courthouse.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the verdict a message that no one is above the law, including judges.
Flores-Ruiz was later deported, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The case has drawn national attention and intensified debate over immigration enforcement inside courthouses, as well as the limits of judicial authority during federal law enforcement operations.