hannah dugan faced another setback on Monday, April 6 ET, when Federal Judge Lynn Adelman denied her request for a new trial and a judgment of acquittal. The ruling keeps in place the felony obstruction conviction tied to the case against the former Milwaukee County judge. Her defense team says it plans to appeal.
Hannah Dugan ruling keeps conviction intact
Adelman issued a 39-page order on Monday after the request was filed in December, following the jury’s verdict in the case. A federal jury found Hannah Dugan guilty of felony obstruction and not guilty on a second count.
The defense had asked the court to set aside the verdict and grant a new trial, arguing that the proceedings were flawed and that the jury was improperly instructed. Adelman rejected that challenge, writing that the defense failed to show his response to the jury’s second question was wrong or that Dugan was prejudiced by it.
The case centers on events from April 18, 2025, when federal agents said they planned to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was in the country illegally, in the public hallway outside Dugan’s courtroom. During the trial, federal agents testified that Dugan ordered them to Chief Judge Carl Ashley’s office.
Defense response and courtroom dispute
, Dugan’s defense team said it continues to maintain that hannah dugan acted lawfully and within her independent authority as a judge. The team also said the inconsistent jury verdicts showed the trial was flawed and that it plans to appeal.
One part of the defense argument focused on how Adelman answered jury questions during deliberations, including whether Dugan needed to know the identity of the man agents were planning to arrest in order to be found guilty. Adelman’s written order addressed those concerns and concluded the defense had not shown grounds to undo the verdict.
Hannah Dugan and the courthouse arrest debate
The case drew attention because it raised questions about courthouse arrests and policies surrounding I. C. E. Milwaukee County Chief Judge Carl Ashley has said he has been working on a policy about I. C. E. at the courthouse for months.
During the trial, Ashley testified that nothing in the draft would stop I. C. E. from making arrests in public hallways, and that there is no requirement for I. C. E. to check in with him. The dispute has kept the focus on how courthouse security, local judicial authority, and federal immigration enforcement can collide in a single building.
What happens next
The next step is likely the appeal that Dugan’s defense team says it will pursue. For now, the Monday ruling means hannah dugan remains convicted on the felony obstruction count while the broader legal fight continues in federal court. The case remains one of the most closely watched courthouse confrontation matters in Milwaukee, and hannah dugan is still at the center of that fight.
