The Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge who was arrested in April for allegedly aiding an illegal immigrant evade immigration officers in her court could now face up to six years in prison.
Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested last month by the FBI for “knowingly” helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE authorities. On Tuesday, she was indicted by a grand jury for federal charges of concealing a person from arrest and obstruction of justice.
Her legal team has since filed a motion to dismiss the case against her, arguing the government “cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” and that “the government has no basis in law to prosecute her.”
The indictment accused Dugan of “falsely” telling federal officials they needed a warrant to go into her courtroom during a scheduled appearance by Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. Flores-Ruiz is a Mexican national who was in court for three misdemeanor battery charges. Dugan reportedly told officers to go to the chief judge’s office for a warrant, then escorted Flores-Ruiz out through a side door, according to the criminal complaint.
Should Dugan be found guilty of both charges, she could face up to six years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines, according to a report by Fox News. She is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday and is expected to plead not guilty.
“Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge,” said Dugan’s lawyers, who added that she “asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court.”
