Overview
- U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman sentenced former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan to a $5,000 fine and no prison time on Wednesday after her December conviction for felony obstruction.
- Prosecutors had urged a 'serious sentence' and noted federal guidelines that called for 15 to 21 months in prison but did not make a specific recommendation to the court.
- The case stems from an April 18, 2025 incident in which Dugan directed ICE agents away from her courtroom and escorted defendant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz through a private jury door; agents arrested him outside and he was later deported.
- Dugan resigned from the bench in January after facing threats of impeachment and public scrutiny, and her lawyers said they will appeal the conviction to the 7th Circuit.
- The prosecution, FBI publicity and public political pressure have made the trial a touchstone in the Trump administration’s courthouse-arrest campaign and the ruling could influence how judges and federal agents interact going forward.