It was just a random Friday in April until the FBI showed up at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. You don’t usually see federal agents hauling a sitting circuit court judge away in handcuffs, but that’s exactly what happened to Judge Hannah Dugan. Honestly, the whole scene felt like something out of a prestige TV drama, but for the people of Milwaukee, it was a very real, very messy collision between local judicial power and federal immigration enforcement.
Now, you’ve probably seen the headlines. Some call her a hero of judicial independence; others say she's an "activist" who thought she was above the law. Basically, it all boils down to a single afternoon and a side door.
The Afternoon That Changed Everything
So, here's the deal. On April 18, 2025, Judge Hannah Dugan was presiding over Branch 31. On her docket was a guy named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was facing a state battery charge. What Dugan didn't know—at least not initially—was that ICE agents were also looking for him. He had been deported years ago and apparently came back without the right paperwork.
The agents didn't barge into the courtroom. They waited in the hallway. They had an administrative warrant.
When Dugan found out they were there, she didn't just keep the peace. Witnesses and court recordings say she got "visibly angry." She actually left the bench to confront the agents in the hallway, telling them their warrant wasn't enough and they needed a judicial warrant signed by a judge. She told them to go talk to the Chief Judge.
While they were gone? That's when things got wild.
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Dugan went back inside, moved Flores-Ruiz’s case to the very top of the list, told him he could do his next hearing over Zoom, and then—this is the part that got her in trouble—ushered him and his lawyer through a private jury door. That door is usually only for staff or defendants in custody. It leads to a back elevator.
Flores-Ruiz made it out of the building, but the agents spotted him and caught him after a foot chase near the flagpoles outside. But the damage was done. The federal government wasn't about to let a judge helping a defendant slip out the back slide.
Who is Hannah Dugan, Anyway?
Before this whole mess, Dugan had a pretty sterling reputation in Milwaukee’s legal circles. She wasn't some radical newcomer. She's a "Double W"—graduated from UW-Madison for both her undergrad and her law degree (J.D. ’87). She even has a master’s from Boston College.
She spent decades doing the "unsexy" work of law. We're talking:
- Serving as president of the Milwaukee Bar Association (1999-2000).
- Working at Legal Action of Wisconsin and the Legal Aid Society.
- Running Catholic Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin as executive director.
- Teaching as an adjunct professor at Marquette University.
She won her seat in 2016 by a landslide, knocking out an incumbent with about 65% of the vote. People trusted her. In 2021, she was even a finalist for "Most Trusted Public Official" in a local poll. She mostly handled misdemeanors—the kind of cases that keep the gears of the city turning but rarely make national news.
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The Trial and the Verdict
Fast forward to December 2025. The trial was a circus. You had the Trump administration’s DOJ, led by U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel, arguing that Dugan abused her power to "knowingly break the law." On the other side, her defense team—which included heavy hitters like Steven Biskupic—argued she was just following courthouse protocol to avoid a scene at her courtroom door.
They played audio from the courtroom. You can actually hear Dugan telling her court reporter she’d "take the heat" for letting him out the back. That's a tough quote to explain away.
The jury deliberated for about six hours. On December 18, 2025, they came back with a split decision:
- GUILTY: One felony count of obstructing federal agents (impeding a proceeding).
- NOT GUILTY: One misdemeanor count of concealing a wanted person.
It was a massive blow. A felony conviction for a sitting judge is basically a career death sentence.
The Fallout: Resignation and "Good Riddance"
The aftermath was predictably partisan. Republicans in the State Legislature didn't even wait for sentencing; they threatened to impeach her immediately. Former Governor Scott Walker was vocal about it, too.
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Dugan didn't wait to be pushed. On January 3, 2026, she sent a resignation letter to Governor Tony Evers. She said she wanted to avoid a "partisan fight."
Honestly, the state of Wisconsin is still arguing about it. Just this week, the Assembly was debating constitutional amendments to prevent judges from getting paid while suspended—a bill sparked specifically by the fact that Dugan collected her salary for months while her case was pending. One representative, Mike Sortwell, even said, "She was found to be guilty and good riddance to her."
On the flip side, over 150 former judges signed a letter saying her arrest was an attempt to intimidate the judiciary. They see it as a "breach of the separation of powers."
What’s Next?
So, where does that leave us? Judge Hannah Dugan is now former Judge Hannah Dugan.
- Sentencing: She’s facing up to five years in prison for the felony obstruction charge. No date is set yet, but legal experts think she might avoid hard time since she has no prior record.
- The Seat: Governor Evers already appointed a guy named Owen Piotrowski to fill her spot in Branch 31. He starts February 1, 2026.
- The Appeal: Her lawyers are still fighting to overturn the conviction, so this probably isn't the last we'll hear of it.
Whether you see her as a protector of her courtroom or a subverter of federal law, the case has changed the way local judges interact with federal agents forever. It’s a reminder that even the person behind the bench isn't immune to the law they're sworn to uphold.
If you’re following this case, keep an eye on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin filings. That’s where the sentencing and appeal documents will land first. If you live in Milwaukee, pay attention to the upcoming judicial elections; these "quiet" seats clearly have a massive impact on how justice is handled in our backyard.