E-Paper
Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan ‘temporarily relieved’ of duties after hiding illegal immigrant inside her courthouse
Judge Hannah Dugan, accused of hiding an illegal immigrant wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, has temporarily lost her judicial powers.
A circuit court judge accused of hiding an illegal immigrant wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has reportedly lost her judicial powers. The Wisconsin Supreme Court stripped Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan of her powers temporarily. She was “temporarily” relieved of her duties Tuesday, April 29, days after she was arrested and charged by the FBI with obstruction.
“In the exercise of (the) constitutional authority and in order to uphold the public’s confidence in the courts of this state during the pendency of the criminal proceeding against Judge Dugan, we conclude, in our own motion, that it is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties,” the Badger State’s highest court ordered, according to the New York Post.
Dugan has now been prohibited from exercising her judicial powers until “a further order of the court.”
What was Hannah Dugan accused of?
Dugan, 65, has been accused of hiding Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz inside her courthouse after a pre-trial hearing on April 18. She has been charged with obstructing a federal agency and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest. Flores-Ruiz was in court for three misdemeanor battery charges in connection to a fight in March.
The Wisconsin Court System has confirmed to Fox News that Dugan will not return to the bench this week. Other judges will cover her caseload.
Dugan was arrested by the FBI for concealing the previously deported illegal immigrant in her jury room in an attempt to stop him from being arrested by ICE agents. Her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, told the court, according to AOL, "Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety."
Attorney General Pam Bondi recently slammed Dugan on Fox's ‘America Reports.’ "We could not believe that a judge really did that," Bondi said. "You cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her. It was a domestic violence case of all cases, and she's protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime."
Bondi said Flores-Ruiz beat up two people. "[He] beat the guy, hit the guy 30 times, knocked him to the ground, choked him, beat up a woman so badly; they both had to go to the hospital," she said.
