Judge Hannah Dugan of Wisconsin was found guilty of obstructing federal immigration officials two weeks ago, in the case from last spring where she helped an illegal immigrant escape her courthouse.
She hasn’t been sentenced yet, but she resigned her office rather than waiting to be impeached, which Republicans threatened her with if she remained in office.
Wisconsin Public Radio reports:
Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan resigns after felony convictionA Milwaukee County judge is resigning after being convicted of helping a man avoid immigration enforcement.Sixty-six-year-old Hannah Dugan on Saturday submitted her resignation letter to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, writing that the action came with a “heavy heart.” Dugan asked for her resignation to take immediate effect.“Behind the bench, I have presided over thousands and thousands of cases — with a commitment to treat all persons with dignity and respect, to act justly, deliberatively, and consistently, and to maintain a courtroom with the decorum and safety the public deserves,” Dugan wrote.Dugan was arrested on April 25 after federal prosecutors filed two charges against her.The charges stem from an April 18 incident, in which Dugan led a man through a side door of her courtroom and said his hearing would be rescheduled over Zoom.That’s after federal agents had showed up at the Milwaukee County courthouse to arrest the man for being in the country illegally. The man had been scheduled for a hearing in Dugan’s courtroom on that day on misdemeanor domestic battery charges.Following a four-day trial at the federal courthouse in Milwaukee, a jury found Dugan guilty of a felony count of impeding or obstructing a proceeding. The jury found her not guilty of a misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual to prevent his discovery or arrest.
You can read Dugan’s resignation letter here.
More from FOX 6 in Wisconsin:
Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Saturday praised Dugan’s decision, saying in a statement: “I’m glad Dugan did the right thing by resigning and followed the clear direction from the Wisconsin Constitution.”Democrat Ann Jacobs, who is chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission board, said she agreed with Dugan that Milwaukee should have a permanent judge in place while this fight plays out.”Despite her situation, she is ever the champion of justice, wanting to remove the judiciary from a political battle over her fate. I’m sure this is terribly hard for her but she is true to her faith and her principles,” Jacobs said in a post on X.Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a supporter of Dugan, said he is on board with her resignation.”It’s an unfortunate situation, but our job is to make sure, not just our Milwaukee County Courthouse, but our justice system, is something that we can trust and continue to believe in,” he said.
It’ll be fascinating to see if she sees any actual prison time. No one is above the law, right?
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