A federal judge has upheld the conviction of former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan for helping an illegal immigrant evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Dugan, 67, was convicted of obstructing justice after she directed ICE agents to the chief judge’s office, allowing the illegal immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, to escape.

Background of the Case

The case began when ICE agents arrived at the Milwaukee County courthouse to detain Flores-Ruiz, who had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case. Dugan confronted the agents and told them that their administrative warrant was not sufficient grounds to arrest Flores-Ruiz. After the agents left, Dugan led Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private jury door, allowing them to evade the agents.

Dugan’s attorneys argued that her conviction was invalid and should be overturned, citing a federal appeals court decision in a Virginia immigration case. However, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman ruled that the attempted arrest of Flores-Ruiz did constitute a ‘pending proceeding,’ and therefore Dugan’s conviction would stand.

Dugan faces up to five years in prison, but is unlikely to be sentenced to time behind bars due to her lack of criminal history and the nonviolent nature of the crime. She resigned from her position as a Milwaukee County circuit judge two weeks after her conviction.

Original reporting: Wisconsin Watch — read the source article.