JUSTICE: Federal Choose UPHOLDS Ex-Choose Hannah Dugan’s Felony Conviction | JP
Once again, former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan’s request for a retrial has been denied.
On Tuesday, a federal judge refused to overturn Dugan’s felony conviction for obstructing immigration agents.
Here are the details:
🚨 JUST IN: A federal judge has UPHELD the felony conviction against former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who was found GUILTY of helping an illegal evade ICE agents at the courthouse
Dugan now faces up to FIVE YEARS in prison, disbarment, and steep fines.
FAFO! 🔥
h/t… pic.twitter.com/7xCdBepW98
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 16, 2026
🚨 A federal judge upheld the conviction of former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who was found guilty of obstruction after helping a man evade ICE agents at a Wisconsin courthouse. pic.twitter.com/zRVEyDJDic
— SCOTUS Wire (@scotus_wire) June 16, 2026
Dugan was originally scheduled to be sentenced for her crimes on June 3rd.
However, that hearing was postponed until the court could decide whether or not to overturn the conviction.
AP News reported further:
The case against Hannah Dugan, who resigned from the Milwaukee County Circuit Court following her conviction, was an early test of how the courts would respond to President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.
Trump allies branded Dugan as an activist judge, while her supporters said she was unfairly targeted.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman postponed Dugan’s sentencing on June 3 to consider arguments about whether he should overturn her conviction. But Adelman said in his ruling Tuesday that Dugan’s conviction would stand. He did not immediately set a sentencing date.
“The court’s decision is wrong,” Dugan’s legal defense team said in a statement.
Dugan’s attorney had argued that her conviction in helping Eduardo Flores-Ruiz leave the courthouse was invalid and should be overturned. He said that was necessary because a federal appeals court in April overturned a key Virginia immigration case that the judge and prosecutors had cited in Dugan’s case.
In the Virginia case, an immigrant who was in the country illegally was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and later escaped. He was recaptured and indicted on a charge of obstructing a pending immigration proceeding.
The federal appeals court found that the ICE action did not constitute a “pending proceeding,” as is required under the federal obstruction law.
Dugan’s attorneys argue that she should not have been charged because there was no “pending proceeding” against the immigrant in her courtroom being sought by ICE agents, only a warrant filed for his arrest. The filing of a warrant does not constitute a “proceeding” under the law, Dugan’s attorneys argued.
Prosecutors countered that the facts in the Virginia case are different and don’t apply to Dugan’s. They also argued that other cases support Dugan’s conviction.
It is unclear when Dugan will be sentenced.
However, she could face up to 5 years in prison for obstructing federal agents.
What do you think?
Should she get the maximum sentence?