Wisconsin Republicans demand Judge Dugan resign or face impeachment after felony conviction

Wisconsin Republicans Call for Embattled Judge’s Resignation Following Obstruction Conviction

Wisconsin Republicans have issued an ultimatum to Judge Hannah Dugan: resign immediately or face impeachment proceedings. The demand comes after Dugan was convicted Thursday of felony obstruction for helping a Mexican immigrant evade federal immigration officers outside her Milwaukee courtroom.

A jury found Dugan guilty following a four-day trial in which prosecutors argued she deliberately distracted federal agents and led the immigrant through a private door to help him avoid arrest. While convicted on the obstruction charge, she was acquitted of a separate charge of concealing a person from arrest.

The conviction carries a potential five-year prison sentence, though federal judges typically have considerable discretion in sentencing. No date has yet been set for Dugan’s sentencing hearing.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Majority Leader Tyler August wasted no time calling for Dugan’s immediate departure, citing a 1976 legal opinion from then-Attorney General Bronson La Follette that determined state officials lose their positions at the moment of felony conviction.

“Wisconsinites deserve to know their judiciary is impartial and that justice is blind,” Vos and August said in their joint statement. “Judge Hannah Dugan is neither, and her privilege of serving the people of Wisconsin has come to an end.”

The Wisconsin Constitution explicitly bars convicted felons from holding public office. However, state law creates some ambiguity, suggesting a vacancy doesn’t officially begin until after sentencing. Neither the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, which oversees judicial discipline, nor Milwaukee County Chief Judge Carl Ashley have clarified when Dugan’s position will be formally declared vacant.

The case has unfolded against the backdrop of intensifying national debate over immigration enforcement. The incident occurred on April 18, when federal immigration officers arrived at the Milwaukee County courthouse to arrest 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who had allegedly reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan on a state battery charge.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Dugan confronted the agents outside her courtroom and directed them to Judge Ashley’s office. After they departed, she escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in a corridor, pursued him outside, and arrested him after a brief foot chase. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed in November that Flores-Ruiz has since been deported.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the verdict’s significance in a social media post: “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. No one can obstruct law enforcement as they carry out their basic duties. This Department of Justice will not waver as our agents and law enforcement partners continue to make America Safe Again.”

Dugan’s defense team has not yet responded to requests for comment about the Republicans’ impeachment threat. Her lead attorney, Steve Biskupic, expressed confusion over the split verdict, questioning how the jury could find such different outcomes when the elements of both charges were similar. Legal experts anticipate an appeal.

John Vaudreuil, a former U.S. attorney in Madison, explained the jury’s decision: “The two charges gave them two different ways to look at the evidence. The jury likely felt she intentionally tried to throw some sand into the gears but didn’t go as far as concealing the immigrant in the general sense of the word, like hiding him in her house.”

Several advocacy organizations, including Common Cause Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters Wisconsin, have called for appellate review, arguing the case raises “serious constitutional questions about due process, judicial authority, and federal overreach.” The Democracy Defenders Fund has already begun raising money for Dugan’s legal expenses, with executive chair Norm Eisen stating, “This case is far from over.”

Sentencing could be months away as the government prepares a pre-sentencing report examining Dugan’s background and circumstances, though a date is expected to be set in the coming days.