Federal Judge Delays Sentencing in Wisconsin Court Obstruction Case

A federal judge on Wednesday postponed sentencing indefinitely for former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan to consider arguments on whether to overturn her felony obstruction conviction. The case stems from an April 18, 2025 incident in which immigration officers attempted to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz at the Milwaukee County courthouse.

Dugan directed the officers to the chief judge's office, stating their administrative warrant was insufficient, then led Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private exit. Dugan's attorney argued the conviction should be overturned because a federal appeals court ruling in a Virginia case established that an immigration arrest warrant does not constitute a "pending proceeding" under federal obstruction law.

Prosecutors countered that the Virginia case facts differ and that other precedents support the conviction. They maintained the court should uphold its prior ruling. The judge questioned both sides on the legal definition of a proceeding and its duration under the statute. No decision was issued from the bench, and no timeline for a ruling was provided.

A jury convicted Dugan on December 19.

She faces up to five years in prison but federal guidelines for a first-time, nonviolent offender typically recommend probation. She resigned from the bench two weeks after the verdict. Dugan was acquitted of a related misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual. Flores-Ruiz was later deported in November.