Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan has been found guilty of one count against her and not guilty of another.<\/p>\n
She was found guilty of impeding a proceeding, a felony, but not guilty of the less serious misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual to prevent his arrest or discovery. <\/p>\n
The jury announced the decision after 8:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n
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The charges stem from an April 18 incident, in which Dugan led a man through a side door of her Milwaukee County courtroom. That happened after federal agents showed up at the courthouse to arrest the man for being in the country illegally. <\/p>\n
Dugan\u2019s attorney: \u2018This case is a long way from over\u2019 <\/p>\n
It\u2019s up to U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Adelman to decide Dugan\u2019s sentence. A sentencing date has not yet been set. <\/p>\n
Dugan\u2019s defense attorney, Steve Biskupic, said the verdict is \u201cdisappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe case is a long way from over,\u201d Biskupic told reporters. <\/p>\n
He suggested the juror\u2019s split verdict was puzzling and said some elements of one charge against Dugan were the same as the elements needed to prove the other.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you find (her) guilty there and not guilty on the first?\u201d Biskpuic asked.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_8705-scaled.jpg\")
Steve Biskupic, the lead defense attorney for Judge Hannah Dugan, addresses reporters following the verdict in Dugan\u2019s jury trial on Dec. 18, 2025. Brad Schimel, the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, watches in the background. Corrinne Hess\/WPR<\/p>\n
Brad Schimmel, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Milwaukee, said he\u2019s proud of the federal prosecutors who tried the case.<\/p>\n
He said the verdict demonstrates that the \u201csafest\u201d places for carrying out arrest warrants are the public hallways of courthouses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe defendant\u2019s actions provided an opportunity for a wanted subject to flee outside that safe courthouse environment, which led to a dangerous foot chase through automobile traffic,\u201d Schimmel said. \u201cI\u2019d like to think that she looked back on this from the get go with some regrets about what she did that day.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Adelman warned the jury<\/a> they should not consider Dugan\u2019s potential punishment when deciding whether or not she\u2019s guilty.<\/p>\n Throughout the evening Thursday, jurors sent Adelman notes, asking to see exhibits and requesting more clarity on the definitions of the charges against Dugan. At one point, jurors sent for pizza.<\/p>\n Stopped by reporters after the verdict, one juror, who asked not to be named, said the jury followed Adelman\u2019s instructions faithfully. Asked if it was hard to decide, the person answered directly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d said the juror. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with potential fines, the impeding-a-proceeding charge filed against Dugan carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while the concealment charge carried a maximum penalty of one year behind bars.<\/p>\n But prison time in Dugan\u2019s case would be virtually unheard of given the allegations in the case and Dugan\u2019s lack of a criminal record, University of Wisconsin-Madison Law Professor John Gross told WPR.<\/p>\n Gross called the case \u201cincredibly unique.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJudges rarely face criminal charges,\u201d Gross said. \u201cGenerally speaking, (judges are) people who are pretty outstanding members of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n Dugan\u2019s trial has put a spotlight on Milwaukee, and it\u2019s highlighted the tension between President Donald Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown and the authority of a local judge.<\/p>\n Federal prosecutor: Dugan is neither evil nor a martyr<\/p>\n Speaking to reporters late Thursday evening, Schimmel, the top federal prosecutor for the Milwaukee region, suggested the case was not \u201cabout a larger political battle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile this case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day in a public courthouse,\u201d Schimmel said. \u201cThe defendant is certainly not evil, nor is she a martyr for some greater cause. It was a criminal case like many that make their way through this courthouse.\u201d<\/p>\n During closing arguments on Thursday<\/a>, Dugan\u2019s defense attorney, Jason Luczak, said Dugan was the victim of \u201cgovernment overreach\u201d in a case \u201criddled with doubt.\u201d Meanwhile, prosecutors said Dugan undermined the neutrality of the justice system when she abused her power to knowingly break the law.<\/p>\n Prior to Dugan\u2019s indictment in May, a group of more than 100 state and federal judges signed a letter <\/a>condemning Dugan\u2019s arrest<\/a> as an attempt to \u201cintimidate\u201d the judiciary.<\/p>\n When speaking to Fox News after Dugan\u2019s arrest in April<\/a>, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said judges are not above prosecution if they break the law.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her,\u201d Bondi said of Dugan\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n During the four-day trial, Dugan did not take the stand<\/a> to testify in her own defense. Adelman told jurors they may not consider the fact that she chose not to testify as evidence against her.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25352744688501-scaled.jpg\")
This courtroom sketch depicts the defense attorney giving a closing argument to the jury at Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan\u2019s trial in court, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. Adela Tesnow via AP, Pool<\/p>\n