Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 13 on charges that she attempted to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest in her courtroom last month.
The indictment, just two pages long, charges Dugan, 66, with obstruction of a U.S. agency and concealment of a person to prevent arrest. Both counts carry a combined maximum sentence of six years in prison and $350,000 in fines.
The indictment followed a day of testimony before the grand jury, which included appearances from Dugan’s courtroom clerk Alan Freed Jr. and Mercedes de la Rosa, who was representing Eduardo Flores-Ruiz—the undocumented immigrant involved in the case—before stepping down from his legal defense. Judge Kristela Cervera, whose courtroom is adjacent to Dugan’s, also testified alongside defense attorney Michael F. Hart.
Leading up to Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest, a six-member federal arrest team arrived on the sixth floor of the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18 to detain Flores-Ruiz. According to the criminal complaint, Flores-Ruiz’s attorney, Mercedes de la Rosa, photographed the agents and alerted Dugan’s clerk, Alan Freed, who then informed Dugan. She allegedly confronted the agents in the hallway, falsely stating they needed a judicial warrant—not an administrative one—to proceed.
Dugan is accused of directing the agents to the office of Chief Judge Carl Ashley, during which time she expedited Flores-Ruiz’s hearing off the record. While most of the agents were in Ashley’s office, she allegedly allowed Flores-Ruiz and de la Rosa to exit through a non-public jury door that led to a hallway and eventually back into the public area.
However, one federal agent who remained behind saw them, followed them into the elevator, and Flores-Ruiz was ultimately arrested. The incident formed the basis for Dugan’s indictment on charges of obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest.
Dugan herself was arrested at the courthouse a week later. She was handcuffed, taken into federal custody, and appeared before a magistrate. Her arrest was publicly announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on X. She is scheduled to enter a plea during a May 15 court appearance.
