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Former Wisconsin judge gets no jail time for helping immigrant evade ICE agents
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 but spared prison for obstructing ICE agents by escorting a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to prevent his arrest.
- Dugan, convicted of felony obstruction, resigned amid impeachment threats and argued her actions were motivated by opposition to immigration policies, not malice.
- U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman cited Dugan’s otherwise law-abiding life and the consequences she already faced, including job loss and threats, as reasons to avoid incarceration.
- Prosecutors called for a serious sentence, emphasizing that judges must not disregard the law, while Dugan’s defense highlighted her punishment through resignation and threats, and announced plans to appeal.
- The case was the first in Wisconsin involving a state judge tried for obstructing immigration agents, stemming from an incident where Dugan intervened to block ICE from arresting a defendant in her courtroom.
