U.S. Judge Fines Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan $5,000 After Felony Obstruction Conviction

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman fined former Wisconsin circuit judge Hannah Dugan $5,000 on Wednesday and imposed no prison time following her December 2025 conviction for felony obstruction of justice. The case originated from an April 2025 incident at the Milwaukee County courthouse.

Immigration officers arrived to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, who had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan on a state battery charge. Dugan confronted the agents outside her courtroom, told them their administrative warrant was insufficient, and led Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private jury door.

Agents later spotted Flores-Ruiz in a corridor, pursued him outside, and arrested him after a foot chase.

Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling wrote in a sentencing memo that judges are entrusted with discretion but cannot cross a line. Dugan’s attorneys countered that she had already been punished enough through resignation and threats of violence.

Adelman said Dugan made a bad decision but concluded prison was unnecessary. He described the conduct as a marked deviation from an otherwise law-abiding life and noted that the agents arrested the defendant outside the courthouse. Dugan told the court her actions were intended to maintain courtroom decorum and safety rather than to act maliciously.

Flores-Ruiz was deported in November. Dugan resigned her Milwaukee County circuit judgeship in January amid threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers. Her attorneys said they plan to file an appeal.