Federal judge upholds ex-judge's obstruction conviction

A federal judge has upheld the felony obstruction conviction of former Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, denying her final attempt to have the verdict thrown out before sentencing. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman issued the ruling on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, concluding that Dugan’s actions to help a man evade immigration officers constituted a federal crime.

Dugan was convicted by a jury on December 19, 2025, for obstructing a pending proceeding. The charges stemmed from an incident on April 18, 2025, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived at the Milwaukee County courthouse to arrest Eduardo FloresRuiz, who had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled for a hearing in a battery case before Dugan. Prosecutors said Dugan confronted the agents outside her courtroom, directed them to a chief judge’s office, and then led FloresRuiz and his attorney out a private exit. Agents later spotted FloresRuiz in a corridor, pursued him outside, and arrested him after a foot chase. Dugan was arrested by the FBI a week later. FloresRuiz was deported in November 2025.

Following her conviction, Dugan’s defense team filed motions for a new trial or a...