Federal judge reconsiders jury's guilty verdict for ex-Wisconsin judge

Key Points:

• A federal judge is reviewing whether to overturn the guilty verdict against former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of felony obstruction for helping an immigrant evade federal officers amid President Trump's immigration crackdown.
• Dugan's attorney argued her conviction was invalid based on a recent federal appeals court decision overturning a similar Virginia case, claiming there was no “pending proceeding” against the immigrant under the law.
• Prosecutors maintained that the Virginia case differs from Dugan’s and urged the court to uphold the conviction, with the acting U.S. attorney disputing the appeals court’s interpretation of what constitutes a "pending proceeding."
• Dugan, who resigned after her conviction and faced impeachment threats, was convicted in December but sentencing was postponed indefinitely pending the judge’s ruling on the motion to overturn the verdict.
• The case stemmed from Dugan’s actions in April 2025, when she confronted ICE agents at the Milwaukee courthouse and helped an immigrant avoid immediate arrest, leading to her eventual arrest and prosecution.