Richard Frohling

A former Wisconsin judge faces sentencing for obstruction after she helped a Mexican defendant evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Her lawyers argued the case was part of resisting federal immigration policies, while prosecutors called it a violation of judicial duty.

A federal judge upheld the felony obstruction conviction of Hannah Dugan, a former Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, after she was found guilty of obstructing ICE officers. Dugan's appeal argued judicial immunity, but the court denied her motion for a new trial, citing a recent Fourth Circuit ruling in United States v. Hernandez that narrowed the definition of 'pending proceeding.'

A federal judge postponed the sentencing of former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of felony obstruction for helping an immigrant evade federal officers, to consider arguments about whether her conviction should be overturned. Dugan's attorney cited a Virginia case where a federal appeals court ruled that an immigration detention did not constitute a 'pending proceeding' under the relevant law, arguing her conviction was invalid.