Dugan sentence: Former Milwaukee County judge avoids prison

MILWAUKEE - Former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan will not serve any prison time for obstructing federal agents from carrying out an immigration enforcement operation, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. Instead, she's been issued a $5,000 fine.

FOX6 News asked Dugan if she had any reaction to the decision as she left the building, but the former judge did not provide any comment.

What did Dugan say in court?

What they're saying:

Dugan addressed the court prior to sentencing. Cameras and recording devices are not allowed in the federal courthouse. However, FOX6 News is in the courtroom.

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The following is a rough transcription of what Dugan said – not direct quotes – lightly edited for clarity:

For nine years, I've strived to administer justice fairly, uphold our laws, Constitution and decorum of the court and safety the public deserves. I did that with the same intentions on April 18, 2025.

People who have always come to the courthouse freely…faced precarious situations previously unseen in the state courts. My acts that day were consistent with the community concerns for our state courthouse. My judicial acts weren't done with any malicious intent or advance any personal interest.

It was my honor of my life to be entrusted by Wisconsinites as their judge. I promised to serve as a public official behind the bench, and beyond the bench.

Beyond the bench, I wanted to be present in the community. Participated in five-to-seven community events every week.

Since the government arrested me, I was forced to curb my community presence for my safety, privacy and safety and privacy of my family.

For more than a year, the circumstances of this prosecution have been politicized. I've been cast as a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither. I am just a public servant who was trying to do my job.

[Dugan said she will not allow the events in April 2025 to define her]

I intend to contribute to the civic life of Milwaukee and Wisconsin, returning to a focus on projects that focus on access to justice initiatives, civics, and education.

Will Dugan appeal?

What's next:

Defense Attorney Jason Luczak said outside the courthouse that the "collateral consequences" to Dugan were great, and they plan to appeal the fine to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

"We think that, at the end of the day, I think the appellate process will play out, and we will be successful, and we look forward to doing that," he said.

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U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman said Dugan's conviction affirms no one is above the law, and while he can't ignore the collateral consequences Dugan has faced, "this amounts to significant punishment, regardless of what I do today."

Dugan's appeal will likely center on the word "proceedings."

What was Dugan's conviction?

The backstory:

A grand jury's two-count indictment accused Dugan of obstructing federal agents and helping an undocumented man evade those agents, who planned to arrest him inside the Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest him in April 2025. Prosecutors said Dugan told the agents to go to the chief judge's office down the hall and then directed the undocumented man and his attorney to leave her courtroom through a back door.

Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the man Dugan was accused of helping, was ultimately arrested outside the courthouse. He later pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the U.S. and, in November 2025, was deported.

In December 2025, a jury found Dugan guilty of felony obstruction but not guilty of the misdemeanor charge that accused her of helping the undocumented man evade the agents. She resigned as judge in early January 2026.

Motions for acquittal rejected

Timeline:

Dugan's defense team made several attempts to get a new trial and an acquittal. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman denied an attempt in April and scheduled sentencing for June 3. 

In late May, Dugan's team made another push and Adelman agreed to hear oral arguments on a motion that he reconsider his earlier order that denied dismissal of the case. Those oral arguments were heard June 3.

Adelman denied that second motion for acquittal on June 16 and later set a new Wednesday's date.

Dig deeper:

"Proceedings" was the one word at the center of a debate over Dugan's conviction.

In April, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Virginia, ruled in a different immigration case. That court found that obstructing an ICE arrest warrant did not constitute interfering with a federal proceeding.

That ruling became the basis for Dugan's latest appeal. Then, Dugan's team asked Adelman to reconsider his earlier ruling that dismissed Dugan's request. In particular, they asked him to overrule the jury and find her not guilty.

Federal prosecutors argued other cases back up Dugan's conviction, and they also argued the appeals court ruling did not apply to the Dugan case. 

However, Adelman released his decision that Dugan "cannot satisfy the burden required for reconsideration."

Editor's note: This story was updated to include new information.

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