WI Supreme Court Removes Federally Charged Judge From Bench

The Milwaukee judge accused of helping a suspected violent illegal immigrant elude federal apprehension has been — for now — relieved of her duties. 

In an order issued this week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court notes that it has “learned” that the Department of Justice has charged Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan with interference with a federal law enforcement operation and unlawful concealment of an individual subject to arrest.

“This court is charged in the Wisconsin Constitution with exercising superintending and administrative authority over the courts of this state. In the exercise of that constitutional authority and in order to uphold the public’s confidence in the courts of this state during the pendency of the criminal proceeding against Judge Dugan, we conclude, on our own motion, that it is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties,” states the order, obtained by WisPolitics.com.

Dugan is “prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the state of Wisconsin … until further order” of the court. 

FBI agents arrested the liberal judge on Friday, a week after, the FBI alleges, Dugan misdirected federal agents from apprehending Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz so that he might evade arrest. The illegal immigrant was set to appear before Dugan for a pretrial conference on three misdemeanor counts of battery. He is accused of striking a man “in the face and body with a closed fist approximately 30 times” during an argument. Flores-Ruiz, according to the local complaint, also struck a woman who attempted to intervene in the domestic incident. The unidentified man and woman each went to the hospital for treatment of injuries. 

“Visibly angry” with a “confrontational, angry demeanor,” Dugan demanded the federal law enforcement officials speak with the court’s chief judge, the complaint states. While the agents were preoccupied, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his legal counsel out of the courtroom through the “jury door,” which leads to a non-public area of the courthouse, according to the charges. 

“According to the affidavit, Judge Dugan’s actions directly resulted in Flores-Ruiz temporarily avoiding federal custody. He was ultimately arrested outside the courthouse, following a brief foot pursuit,” the Department of Justice stated in a press release. 

Dugan became the second Milwaukee County judge to be barred from the bench in the past four years. In 2021, the Supreme Court temporarily relieved Judge Brett Blomme of his duties after he was charged with distribution of child pornography. Blomme, appointed by Democrat Gov. Tony Evers, is serving a nine-year federal prison sentence. The court ultimately revoked the disgraced judge’s law license. 

One of Dugan’s attorneys on her “all-star legal team” has said the  judge “has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge,” adding that Dugan will “defend herself vigorously, and looks forward to being exonerated.”

Matt Kittle is a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist. An award-winning investigative reporter and 30-year veteran of print, broadcast, and online journalism, Kittle previously served as the executive director of Empower Wisconsin.