Hannah Dugan

Hannah C. Dugan (born 1959) is an American attorney who served as a Wisconsin circuit court judge for Milwaukee County from 2016 until her resignation in 2026 after a jury found her guilty of a felony. Prior to her judicial service, Dugan was president of the Milwaukee Bar Association, served as an executive director of Catholic Charities USA in southeastern Wisconsin, and worked with several legal aid organizations.

On April 25, 2025, Dugan was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and indicted on federal charges after she informed a defendant who was an illegal immigrant to the presence of federal immigration agents, directed him to leave through a nonpublic exit of the courthouse, and thereby impeded federal agents who were attempting to take him into custody following a court appearance. The case drew national attention, with differing views expressed regarding the scope of federal enforcement authority and judicial conduct. Critics described the arrest as politically motivated and indicative of authoritarian enforcement under the second Trump administration, while supporters characterized it as a legitimate application of federal law.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan from judicial duties pending the outcome of the case. On December 18, 2025, a federal jury found her guilty of one felony count of obstructing federal agents and not guilty on a lesser misdemeanor charge of concealing a wanted person. Dugan resigned from the bench in a letter to Wisconsin governor Tony Evers. A sentencing date has not yet been set; according to U.S. media reports, Dugan faces up to five years in prison.