A Wisconsin judge facing federal charges for allegedly helping an illegal alien criminal avoid arrest by ICE agents, caught on video, now has been paid nearly $50,000 for the time she’s been on suspension because of the criminal case.
A report at the Federalist said Hannah Dugan “has ‘earned’ $48,997 since being suspended in late April.”
That suspension is while “she faces charges for allegedly helping a violent illegal immigrant elude federal law enforcement officials.”
She’s continued to collect full pay and benefits while accused of criminal actions.
She was suspended by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but has continued to take her biweekly pay rate of $6,712, an annual rate of $174,512.
“Meanwhile, Dugan has established a legal defense fund to pay for a high-powered team of lawyers that includes former Solicitor General Paul Clement and former federal prosecutor Steve Biskupic. In its first three weeks, the fund had raised nearly $140,000, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Dugan doesn’t have to report on who gave what until next year, the news outlet reported,” according to the Federalist report.
The case against Dugan involves a felony.
“The judge insists that she is immune from prosecution, that she has the right to do as she pleases in her courtroom — apparently up to breaking the law. She argues that the charges should be dropped,” the report explained.
However, U.S. Magistrate Nancy Joseph last month found Dugan’s claims “unconvincing” and recommended Dugan’s motion to dismiss be denied.
“It is well-established and undisputed that judges have absolute immunity from civil lawsuits for monetary damages when engaging in judicial acts. This, however, is not a civil case,” the magistrate wrote in her 37-page decision.
The suspended judge has been accused of felony obstruction and misdemeanor concealing an individual to prevent arrest.
It was previously deported illegal alien Eduardo Flores-Ruiz who was appearing before her. She is accused of helping him escape from ICE agents, briefly, by directing them out of the hallway by her courtroom, then allowing Flores-Ruiz to leave by a “jury door” to her courtroom.
Dugan could face six years behind bars and a $350,000 fine if convicted of the counts looming against her.
The charges against Dugan confirm she was “visibly angry” after being informed that ICE agents were waiting to apprehend the suspect.
“After sending the law enforcement officials to the chief judge’s office, 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,” the Federalist said, citing the charges.
A pending bill under consideration in the state legislature’s Assembly Judiciary Committee would freeze the salaries for judges who are suspended.
State Rep. Shae Sortwell charged taxpayers should not be financially responsible for “an extended vacation” for Dugan.
In an interview later, she admitted she had the suspect leave “out the back door.”
WND has reported a grand jury accused Dugan of knowingly concealing a person for whose arrest a warrant and process had been issued, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1071. She is charged in Count Two with obstruction of the United States Department of Homeland Security’s removal proceedings, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505.
The records show, “Dugan knowingly concealed E.F.R., a person for whose arrest a warrant and process had been issued under the provisions of the law of the United States, so as to prevent the discovery and arrest of E.F.R., after notice and knowledge of the fact that a warrant and process had been issued for the apprehension of E.F.R., in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1071; Count Two On or about April 18, 2025, Dugan did corruptly endeavor to influence, obstruct, and impede the due and proper administration of the law under which a pending proceeding was being had before a department and agency of the United States, namely the administrative arrest of E.F.R. for purposes of removal proceedings conducted by the United States Department of Homeland Security, by committing affirmative acts to assist E.F.R. to evade arrest, including: a) confronting members of a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Task Force and falsely telling them they needed a judicial warrant to effectuate the arrest of E.F.R.; b) upon learning that they had an administrative warrant for E.F.R.’s arrest, directing all identified members of the ICE Task Force to leave…”
WND reported when a video showed Dugan’s actions, sending two federal agents waiting to take an illegal into custody packing.
