In a dramatic turn of events, Hannah Dugan, the Wisconsin judge recently convicted of obstructing ICE agents during an immigration operation, is stepping down from her judicial post. Her decision comes amid a rising tide of calls for her impeachment and removal following her legal troubles.

At 66, Dugan announced her resignation on Saturday, framing it as a strategic move to continue her battle against what she perceives as a flawed legal system. “I am resigning to continue fighting for the integrity of our independent judiciary,” she declared.

In a heartfelt letter to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Dugan expressed her concerns about the ongoing legal challenges she faces. “I am embroiled in unprecedented federal legal proceedings that pose significant threats to judicial independence,” she wrote. Her letter was first reported by local news outlet WISN.

She emphasized her dedication to her cause, stating, “This fight is not just for me, but for the independent judiciary as a whole.” Dugan also expressed her desire for Milwaukee County Branch 31 to have a functioning judge rather than being caught in partisan legislative battles. “The citizens of Wisconsin deserve stability and justice in the courtroom,” she added.

In response, a spokesperson for Governor Evers assured the public that steps would be taken promptly to fill the vacancy. “The governor is committed to appointing a suitable replacement without delay,” the spokesperson told the Wisconsin Law Journal.

“As with any appointment, the governor will work to fill the vacancy without delay,” the rep said.

Dugan, 66, was indicted last year for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade federal officers shortly after he appeared in her Milwaukee County Circuit courtroom in connection with a domestic abuse case. A federal jury found Dugan guilty in December of one count of obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States, a felony. Jurors, however, found her innocent of one count of concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest, a misdemeanor.

Steve Biskupic, one of Dugan’s defense attorneys — and a former U.S. Attorney — told WISN late last month that her legal team plans to ask U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, a Bill Clinton appointee, to set aside Dugan’s guilty verdict. Her lawyers filed a notice on Dec. 23 saying they will officially ask for a new trial.

“Defendant Hannah C. Dugan, by counsel, has moved for a judgment of acquittal,” the notice said.

“The judge has given us plenty of time, until the end of January, to explore this, to educate him,” Biskupic told WISN, noting how Dugan’s team will be calling on Adelman to toss the jury’s split verdict after jurors came forward in the press and said they got contradictory answers from Adelman while asking him questions about the case.

Specifically, the jury reportedly asked whether Dugan needed to know who Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were looking for that day in order to convict her. For the misdemeanor concealing charge, the jurors said Adelman told them yes. But for the felony charge, jurors claimed he told them no.

“If it came back the same, we all would have found her not guilty, I am sure of it,” a juror told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after Dugan’s conviction. “The jury followed Adelman’s instructions faithfully,” another juror said.

In response, Biskupic told WISN, “Obviously, the constitutional system that she’s devoted her life to is that we rely upon the jury system. Now you make arguments that the jury was improperly instructed, especially on those questions, that’s all fair game for anybody in a case, and so whether you say I accept the verdict or not, of course it’s the verdict, and that is where the case is going to be going forward. And that’s where some of the challenge will be.”

After being found guilty, state Republicans called on Dugan to be removed from the bench. She was suspended without pay following her indictment.

During her trial, federal prosecutors alleged Dugan impeded ICE agents during the courthouse immigration bust in Milwaukee by helping a Mexican national named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who is facing misdemeanor battery charges, leave through a jury door after a hearing in his criminal case. Dugan was accused of telling ICE agents they needed to obtain a judicial warrant to take Flores-Ruiz into custody. Later, a deputy working in the courthouse provided information to federal investigators.

The incident occurred on April 18, and Dugan was charged in a criminal complaint less than a week later and was formally indicted in late May.

“While we are disappointed in today’s outcome, the failure of the prosecution to secure convictions on both counts demonstrates the opportunity we have to clear Judge Dugan’s name and show she did nothing wrong in this matter,” Dugan’s defense said in a statement after the verdict. “We have planned for this potential outcome and our defense of Judge Dugan is just beginning. This trial required considerable resources to prepare for and public support for Judge Dugan’s defense fund is critical as we prepare for the next phase of this defense.”

Obstruction carries a potential maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, according to federal law. But such an outcome is exceedingly unlikely due to Dugan’s lack of a criminal record and the facts of the case itself. The sought-after criminal defendant was eventually detained and then deported in November.