Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was spared prison time on Wednesday when she was sentenced to pay a $5,000 fine for purportedly obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the courthouse arrest of an undocumented immigrant. US District Judge Lynn Adelman indicated that prison time was unnecessary and instead ordered the fine, conveying that Dugan is a good person who made a bad decision in the moment.

Dugan was convicted of felony obstruction following her federal trial in December and subsequently resigned from her position in January after facing pressure from state Republicans. She was facing a maximum of five years in prison in what is the first ever conviction of a state judge for obstructing immigration officials.

Adelman stated at the hearing that “the punishment should fit the offender, and not merely the crime.” Prior to the sentencing, Dugan filed a petition to retry her case that was denied by Adelman last month.

The verdict stems from an incident at the Milwaukee County courthouse in April 2025 when ICE agents learned that Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had illegally reentered the country and was appearing before Dugan in a state battery case. Under an administrative warrant, agents appeared at the courthouse to arrest him. However, when Dugan learned about the officers’ presence, she ushered Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a backdoor. The federal agents ultimately caught up to and arrested Flores-Ruiz, resulting in his November deportation. Dugan was arrested at the courthouse a week later and indicted on federal charges.

Throughout the highly politicized proceedings, Dugan maintained that she was not guilty and stated at trial that she was merely attempting to maintain peace and decorum in the courtroom. “I was a public servant who was just trying to do my job,” she claimed.

Dugan’s actions have been called reckless and illegal, but Adelman conveyed that she has done a lot of good for her community, a sentiment that is reflected in her sentencing.