Guilty verdict delivered against Wisconsin judge who helped immigrant

A rather funny thing happened today. Well, I am not sure if it is funny for Hannah Dugan. Dugan, if you recall, was the judge who had helped an illegal immigrant avoid authorities in Wisconsin.

While everyone on the left claimed she had done nothing wrong, a jury of her peers just convicted her of obstruction.

Arrested

In April 2025, Dugan was officially arrested and charged in the case.

After Dugan helped the individual escape, FBI Director Kash Patel stated, "Thankfully, our agents chased down the perp on foot, and he's been in custody since, but the Judge's obstruction created increased danger to the public.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi added, "I think some of these judges think they are beyond and above the law, and they are not.”

When the case first made the news, I thought a lower court would wind up dismissing the case with prejudice, but it was actually permitted to play out.

Did Nothing Wrong

That was what we heard from everyone, from the judge to just about every Democrat in office.

UW-Madison Law School Professor John Gross took an odd line to defend Dugan, stating, "Justices in the courthouse are concerned about this chilling effect that federal law enforcement activity, if it's taking place in the courthouse, how that could deter people from having their day in court. If people fear arrest at a courthouse, it will close the courthouse doors effectively."

Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milwaukee) added, “As the ranking member of the judiciary committee in the state of Wisconsin, I was appalled. Hannah Dugan, I stand with her. She did nothing wrong, and in the end, I don't believe that she'll be found guilty of doing anything wrong.”

Guilty

Thankfully, the jury did not see it that way, as the guilty verdict was delivered today, and Dugan now faces up to five years in prison, but I doubt the judge will sentence her to anything close to that.

Dugan’s attorneys plan to appeal the ruling, stating, "While we are disappointed in today’s outcome, the failure of the prosecution to secure convictions on both counts demonstrates the opportunity we have to clear Judge Dugan’s name and show she did nothing wrong in this matter.

"We have planned for this potential outcome and our defense of Judge Dugan is just beginning. This trial required considerable resources to prepare for and public support for Judge Dugan’s defense fund is critical as we prepare for the next phase of this defense."

Her attorneys are like congressional Democrats… they think if they say it enough times out loud, it will be true. But think about this… it only took the jury six hours to come to a verdict, so I don’t see how this gets overturned on appeal, unless we get a panel full of liberal judges.

I would also note that prosecutors did not appear to be out for blood here, but they did want to hold her accountable. My guess is that they will go light on their sentence recommendation, and if the appeal fails, Dugan will still likely never see a day in jail.