By Samuel A. Lopez – USA Herald
MADISON, Wis. (USA Herald) — A Wisconsin judge charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest is asserting that her judicial immunity shields her from prosecution. But as the legal showdown intensifies, experts are divided on whether her actions qualify as official judicial conduct—or a brazen attempt to thwart federal immigration law.
Federal prosecutors allege that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan went beyond her judicial role when she facilitated the courthouse escape of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a previously deported immigrant wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On Wednesday, Dugan’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the charges, invoking the doctrine of judicial immunity. Her attorneys argue that her conduct that day amounted to nothing more than the “management of courtroom movement” and that she should not be criminally prosecuted for official acts performed in her capacity as a judge.
