Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan has been spared a prison sentence after being convicted of obstructing federal agents, receiving a $5,000 fine instead.
The federal judge cited her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence on Wednesday.
Dugan, 67, was found guilty of felony obstruction in December.
Her legal team contended during her trial that the Trump administration had sought to “crush” Dugan in an effort to enforce judicial compliance with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) strategy of targeting immigrants at court hearings.
Dugan resigned from her Milwaukee County circuit judgeship in January, a position she had held for nine years, amidst threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers who labeled her an “activist judge.”
In her resignation letter, she asserted that her prosecution threatened “the independence of our judiciary.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a staunch Trump loyalist, publicly urged authorities to “lock her up” in a social media post following her conviction.
During the sentencing, two Marquette University law professors, including a former state Supreme Court justice and a Jesuit priest, spoke in her defense.
The priest, Gregory O’Meara, read a statement describing Dugan as a defender of oppressed people and expressed his belief that punishment was unnecessary. “Hannah models what it means to be a Christian,” he said.
Addressing the court, Dugan stated she had always strived to do her best as a judge, and that her actions in April 2025 were not malicious but rather an attempt to maintain the “decorum and safety of the courtroom.”
She added, “I have been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither. I am a public servant who’s just trying to do my job,” noting she has had to retire from public life due to threats against her and her family.
A prosecutor acknowledged that “she has experienced collateral damage because of her conduct,” but emphasized that “judges can’t choose to disregard the law.”
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, in delivering the sentence, agreed that Dugan made a poor decision but deemed prison unnecessary.
“This is a few minutes of conduct for someone who has dedicated her life to public service,” the judge stated. “It’s a marked deviation from an otherwise law-abiding life.”
He also pointed out that Dugan’s actions ultimately did not prevent ICE agents from arresting the defendant outside the courthouse.
While jurors convicted her of felony obstruction, they acquitted her of concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor charge.
Prosecutors had pushed for a “serious sentence,” arguing in a sentencing memo that Dugan violated her judicial oath and endangered both law enforcement and the public.
“Judges are entrusted with tremendous discretion, but there is a line they cannot cross,” Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling wrote. “The defendant crossed that line.”
Dugan’s attorneys countered that she had been “punished enough,” citing her resignation and threats of violence.
They argued she should not face any additional jail time beyond the single day she had already spent in federal custody.
Federal sentencing guidelines suggested 15 to 21 months behind bars, though the judge was not bound by these recommendations.
Prosecutors noted the average sentence for obstruction cases is 16 months but did not recommend a specific term.
Dugan’s attorneys have announced plans to file an appeal.
This case marked the first instance in Wisconsin where a state judge faced trial on charges of obstructing immigration agents.
The incident occurred on April 18, 2025, when immigration officers arrived at the Milwaukee County courthouse after learning Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, who had reentered the country illegally, was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a state battery case.
