{"id":2630532,"date":"2026-07-16T09:17:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T13:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T09:22:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T13:22:24","slug":"democrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrat Judge Dodges Prison After I Was Jailed For Defending Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2630532&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses a recent case involving Hannah Dugan, a former Milwaukee judge who received a surprisingly lenient sentence of a $5,000 fine for obstructing an immigration arrest, despite federal guidelines recommending 15 to 21 months in prison. This sentencing contrasts sharply with the experience of Peter Navarro,a Trump adviser convicted of misdemeanors related to congressional contempt,who was sentenced to four months in prison and a $9,500 fine. Navarro critiques the disparity in sentencing, highlighting how Dugan\u2019s case was judged by a judge with democratic ties, who expressed leniency, whereas Navarro, with political overtones, faced harsher punishment.Navarro argues that such inconsistency reveals a politicized justice system that favors political allies and punishes opponents, undermining the principle of equal justice under the law. He emphasizes the importance of impartiality and warns that weaponizing courts for partisan ends erodes constitutional principles and weakens institutions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ahI_aAFKcYY\/\">Fox6 News Milwaukee \/ YouTube<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/16\/democrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Democrat Judge Dodges Prison For Obstructing An Arrest After I Was Jailed For Defending Trump&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/16\/democrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Democrat Judge Dodges Prison For Obstructing An Arrest After I Was Jailed For Defending Trump&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/16\/democrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/16\/democrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Democrat Judge Dodges Prison For Obstructing An Arrest After I Was Jailed For Defending Trump&#038;body=The Dugan sentence again reveals a system too willing to forgive political allies and too eager to punish political enemies.  %20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/16\/democrat-judge-dodges-prison-for-obstructing-an-arrest-after-i-was-jailed-for-defending-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\">                     <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); pfTrackEvent(&#039;Democrat Judge Dodges Prison For Obstructing An Arrest After I Was Jailed For Defending Trump&#039;); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &#038; Email\">                     <span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span>                     <\/a>                 <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div class=\"pf-content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, former Milwaukee judge Hannah Dugan received her punishment for a federal felony charge. The jury found she obstructed an immigration arrest by ushering an illegal alien \u2014 in her courtroom on a battery charge \u2014 out a private door while federal agents waited in the hallway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sentencing guidelines called for 15 to 21 months in prison. Prosecutors noted the average obstruction sentence runs 16 months.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2243458321\" class=\"d-flex justify-content-center fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 fdrlst__b89e9-entity-placement\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her sentence: a $5,000 fine. No prison time. Not even probation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I know something about federal sentencing, because I went through it from the other side of the political aisle. In 2023, I was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress \u2014 each carrying a maximum of one year in prison \u2014 for honoring executive privilege at the direction of the President of the United States.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prosecution broke with roughly half a century of Justice Department policy holding that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/op-ed-this-trump-adviser-went-to-prison-so-you-wont-have-to-hes-still-fighting\/\" title=\"Op-Ed: This Trump Adviser Went to ... So You Won\u2019t Have To - He&#039;s Still Fighting\">senior presidential advisers<\/a> cannot be prosecuted for contempt in these circumstances. My appeal remains pending.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those misdemeanors, I was sentenced to four months in federal prison. I served every day of it, at age 74, after the courts refused to let me <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-prepares-for-the-worst-after-verdict-says-breaking-point-may-be-close-its-just-the-way-it-is\/\" title=\"Trump Braces for Outcome, Warns of &#039;Breaking Point&#039; Ahead - Accepts the Situation\">remain free pending appeal<\/a>. I paid a $9,500 fine \u2014 nearly double Dugan\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s sit with that comparison. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dugan: A felony that judicial guidelines said deserved well over a year in prison \u2014 a smaller fine than mine paid, then sent home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navarro: A first-of-its-kind misdemeanor rooted in a constitutional dispute between Congress and the presidency \u2014 double the fine plus prison, with no mercy and no delay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now consider who did the sentencing. Dugan drew Judge Lynn Adelman \u2014 a former Democratic Wisconsin state senator elevated to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton. Adelman was formally admonished by the Seventh Circuit\u2019s Judicial Council in 2020 for publishing an article titled \u201cThe Roberts Court\u2019s Assault on Democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In administering his partisan mercy, Adelman described Dugan as \u201can otherwise good person, upset by immigration policies in this country,\u201d who \u201cmade a bad decision in the moment.\u201d I drew a Barack Obama-appointed judge in a Washington, D.C., courthouse. I was tried before a jury pulled from a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans roughly ten to one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even with that stacked jury deck, the judge stripped me of any meaningful defense. My trial took a D.C. minute. The government called three witnesses. I was barred from presenting executive privilege \u2014 the heart of my defense \u2014 to the jury at all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The point is not that every defendant should go to jail. The point is that like cases should be treated alike, and more serious conduct should not receive lighter punishment simply because the defendant belongs to a favored legal or political class.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">America cannot sustain a justice system in which \u201cresistance\u201d gets few to no consequences, and the defense of constitutional principles gets prison. Nor can we tolerate a system in which the courtroom becomes another weapon in partisan combat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My case is still on appeal because the underlying issue remains vital. If Congress can subpoena senior presidential advisers, refuse to accommodate privilege claims, and then imprison them for not appearing, every future president \u2014 Republican or Democrat \u2014 will be weaker. The presidency itself will be weaker.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If judges can commit serious federal felonies and simply be let off by their colleagues, the court system will be weaker as well. Justice is not blind when it is weaponized. It is partisan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why the Dugan sentence should concern every American, regardless of party. It reveals a system too willing to forgive political allies and too eager to punish political enemies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Equal justice under law is not a slogan carved in marble. It is a standard. Right now, that standard is being trampled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">   <a href=\"https:\/\/peternavarro.com\/\">Peter Navarro<\/a> served as a senior White House adviser to President Trump.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Peter Navarro<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/peternavarro\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags no-print bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/felony\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Felony<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/hannah-dugan\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Hannah Dugan<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/ice\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">ICE<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/illegal-alien\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">illegal alien<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/illegal-immigration\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Illegal Immigration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/immigration\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Immigration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/judgement\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Judgement<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/jury\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Jury<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/justice-system\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">justice system<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/misdeamenor\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Misdeamenor<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/peter-navarro\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Peter Navarro<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/prison\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Prison<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/sentencing\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">sentencing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dugan\u2019s light sentence highlights justice system bias<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4010,"featured_media":2630533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-CORRECT-Twitter-template-1-2.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[23458,4439,4901,4431,5894],"class_list":["post-2630532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-courtroom","tag-freedom","tag-justice","tag-legal","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-CORRECT-Twitter-template-1-2.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4010"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2630532"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2630542,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630532\/revisions\/2630542"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2630533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2630532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2630532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2630532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}