A judge in Wisconsin finds herself at the center of a legal storm following her conviction in a case that has drawn significant attention amid the Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies.

On Thursday, a federal jury delivered a guilty verdict against Hannah Dugan for obstructing or impeding a federal agency proceeding, a felony charge. However, she was acquitted of a second charge, a misdemeanor, related to concealing an individual to avoid his detection and arrest.

This mixed verdict concludes a prolonged legal battle, characterized by intense pre-trial motions as both the prosecution and defense sought advantageous positions in this widely publicized case.

Prosecutors accused Dugan of interfering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a Milwaukee courthouse operation. They alleged that she assisted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national facing misdemeanor battery charges, in eluding ICE by allowing him to exit through a jury door following a court hearing.

The incident in question took place on April 18. Dugan was swiftly charged with a criminal complaint within a week and was subsequently suspended from her judicial duties by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The formal indictment followed in late May.

During the ICE operation, Dugan reportedly insisted that agents needed a judicial warrant to detain Flores-Ruiz. A courthouse deputy later provided details of the event to federal authorities.

The four-day trial was overseen by U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, a Bill Clinton appointee. Jury selection began on Dec. 11.

During the proceedings, Dugan herself did not take the stand.

In typical fashion, federal prosecutors painstakingly laid out their arguments over the majority of the trial, according to a courtroom report by Milwaukee-based Fox affiliate WITI. On the final day, the defense began its own presentation, ultimately calling four witnesses.

At 2:24 p.m. CST, the jury began deliberations.

After a series of questions about an exhibit show during the trial, Dugan’s knowledge of an outstanding warrant, a legal standard expressed in the jury instructions, and ordering dinner, jurors ended their deliberations at 8:32 p.m., the local TV station reported.

Dugan was represented by several lawyers in the case and secured support from a broader constellation of legal experts and professionals early on when 138 former state and federal judges called for a dismissal of the charges in an amicus brief filed May 30.

The bipartisan group of lawyers excoriated Dugan’s arrest and prosecution as “an extraordinary and direct assault on the independence of the entire judicial system,” echoing statements made by Dugan in one of her failed motions to dismiss the charges.

In the end, however, Adelman decided the matter was ripe for consideration by a collection of Dugan’s peers – though the court did not act with haste, despite a defense request to move forward quickly.

The defense released a statement bemoaning the verdict.

“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,” the statement reads. “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.

“Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a previously removed illegal alien has a laundry list of violent criminal charges, including strangulation and suffocation, battery, and domestic abuse,” ICE Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said after the man’s removal. “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal is OUT of our country.”