Milwaukee judge found guilty of obstruction after allegedly helping migrant evade arrest

A assemblage convicted a Milwaukee justice connected 1 number of felony obstruction Thursday, the Associated Press reported, aft she was accused of helping a antheral who was successful the U.S. illegally evade national migration authorities during a instrumentality enforcement cognition astatine her courthouse.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was acquitted connected a number of concealing an idiosyncratic to forestall arrest, a misdemeanor.

Dugan was arrested successful April and pleaded not blameworthy to some charges. She attempted aggregate times to disregard the lawsuit against her connected the grounds that she was acting wrong the scope of her authoritative duties arsenic a authorities tribunal justice and truthful was entitled to judicial immunity, but those attempts were denied.

The proceedings lasted 4 days successful Milwaukee national court. 

Dugan's ineligible squad argued that the "top levels of government" were progressive successful bringing charges against her, portion national prosecutors argued that Dugan intentionally interfered to artifact national migration officials from arresting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the Associated Press reported. 

Dugan did not instrumentality the basal successful her ain defense, but a workfellow of Dugan's who testified for the authorities said she was shocked by her behavior, according to the AP. 

Flores-Ruiz has since been deported.

According to a sworn connection by the FBI agent, Dugan helped nonstop Flores-Ruiz retired of her courtroom done the assemblage doorway arsenic national migration agents were waiting to apprehension him successful the hallway of Dugan's courthouse. 

"Judge Dugan past escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel retired of the courtroom done the 'jury door,' which leads to a nonpublic country of the courthouse," the cause wrote, adding that Dugan besides instructed the man's lawyer to besides permission the courtroom done that door.

Agents aboriginal spotted Flores-Ruiz "looking astir the hallway" successful the courthouse and followed him retired of the courthouse, wherever a ft pursuit ensued and helium was arrested. 

As the effect of her arrest, Dugan was suspended from the seat successful precocious April by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Carl Ashley said Dugan's docket would beryllium taken implicit by a reserve justice "as needed."