Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has stepped down following her recent conviction for obstructing federal agents who were attempting to detain an undocumented immigrant. Her resignation was announced in a letter addressed to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, which she sent on Saturday.
In her letter, Dugan expressed her concern about the implications of the case on judicial independence and affirmed her commitment to continue contesting the charges. “I am currently facing unprecedented federal legal proceedings that pose significant and intricate challenges to the autonomy of our judiciary,” she stated. “I am determined to fight this battle, both for myself and for the integrity of our judicial system. Nonetheless, the citizens of Wisconsin deserve to have an active judge presiding over Milwaukee County Branch 31, rather than having the court’s future embroiled in a partisan dispute within the state legislature.”
Judge Dugan’s resignation is to be effective immediately, allowing the court to proceed with uninterrupted judicial leadership.
In mid-December, a jury found Dugan guilty of the charges against her, which stem from an incident in April when she allegedly interfered with federal immigration officers at a courthouse.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan walks into the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse on May 15. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
A 12-person jury found Dugan guilty on Dec. 18 of obstructing federal immigration agents during an attempt to serve a warrant at a courthouse last April.
She was arrested after prosecutors said she helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz evade plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempting to serve a warrant. Prosecutors said Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to leave her courtroom through a back door on April 18, 2025, after learning ICE agents were in the building to arrest him.
Dugan pleaded not guilty, and she was acquitted on a lesser misdemeanor charge.
Attorneys for Dugan filed a motion late last month indicating they will seek a new trial.
She faces up to five years in prison on the felony obstruction count. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman has not set a sentencing date.
Dugan was suspended by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April, but continued to collect her roughly $175,000 annual salary while awaiting trial.
Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan speaks at a pro-Ukraine rally on Feb. 24, 2025. (Lee Matz/ Milwaukee Independent via AP)
After Dugan’s conviction, Wisconsin Republican leaders said they would initiate the impeachment process if she did not resign from her office immediately.
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August argued that the state Constitution bars any person convicted of a felony from serving in an “office of trust, profit or honor” unless pardoned.
“Wisconsinites deserve to know their judiciary is impartial and that justice is blind,” they said in a statement last month. “Judge Hannah Dugan is neither, and her privilege of serving the people of Wisconsin has come to an end.”
Following the verdict, Dugan’s defense team said they were prepared to keep fighting to clear her name.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan leaves the federal courthouse after a hearing on Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wis. Â (Lee Matz/Milwaukee Independent via AP)
“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 team said in a statement.
They added, “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.”
