Judge Hannah Dugan Fined $5,000 With No Prison Time for Obstruction Conviction

Former Wisconsin judge Hannah C. Dugan was sentenced on July 8, 2026, to a $5,000 fine with no prison time or probation for her felony obstruction of justice conviction. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman imposed the penalty after a jury convicted Dugan in December 2025.

The maximum possible sentence had been five years in prison. The conviction stemmed from an incident in which Dugan directed Eduardo Flores-Ruiz out a non-public exit of her Milwaukee courtroom while ICE agents waited outside. Flores-Ruiz is a Mexican national.

Washington Times reported that Dugan was arrested in April 2025. The same outlet stated that the events occurred during the early months of the Trump administration's enforcement actions on illegal immigration. Adelman stated he did not believe prison or probation was necessary in the case.