Wisconsin judge accused of obstructing ICE could face years in prison, DOJ has 'upper hand': former prosecutor

A Milwaukee, Wisconsin justice could look years successful situation for allegedly helping an amerciable migrant evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a erstwhile national authoritative said.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, 65, was arrested by the FBI and charged with obstruction of proceedings earlier a section oregon bureau of the United States connected Friday.

She allegedly whisked distant a previously-deported amerciable migrant and his lawyer from her courthouse successful bid to halt ICE from arresting him. She was besides charged with concealing an idiosyncratic to forestall find and arrest.

"It's 5 years if the idiosyncratic is wanted for a felony, and it's 1 twelvemonth if they're wanted for a misdemeanor," lawyer Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital this week. "So it's 5 years."

The FBI arrests a Wisconsin justice who alleged obstructed the apprehension of an amerciable alien. (Obtained by Fox News)

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Rahmani was a national authoritative earlier founding West Coast Trial Lawyers, a idiosyncratic wounded steadfast with much than 2 twelve locations successful California and Nevada. 

Dugan's apprehension came aft Mexican nationalist Eduardo Flores-Ruiz appeared successful tribunal connected April 18 to look 3 misdemeanor artillery charges for allegedly beating 2 people.

Though helium was determination connected state-level misdemeanors, national instrumentality enforcement was trying to apprehension him for the national felony of amerciable reentry into the United States, Rahmani explained. Flores-Ruiz was removed from the United States successful 2013. 

"I bash deliberation the Department of Justice has the precocious manus here, if indeed, the allegations are true, and they person a lawful warrant, and a justice helps an idiosyncratic fundamentally flight retired of the broadside doorway – a nonpublic doorway – with the assistance of their attorney," helium said. "I mean, that is simply a large problem." 

According to the DOJ, Flores-Ruiz was "subject to apprehension based connected an administrative warrant issued by ICE for migration violations pursuing his caller transgression charges successful Milwaukee County." 

The FBI arrests a Wisconsin justice for allegedly obstructing the apprehension of an amerciable alien. (Obtained by Fox News)

"Under the Supremacy Clause, the instrumentality is clear," Rahmani said. "A authorities justice can't disregard national law, overmuch little a national warrant, whether it's signed by a justice oregon adjacent an administrative warrant."

He besides said that states person nary close to dilatory down national migration proceedings. 

"I'm conscionable speaking arsenic a lawyer, you know, there's nary ineligible ground for that," helium said. "You can't conscionable disregard the law, particularly if you're a judge, nor tin you conscionable dilatory down migration enforcement. You conscionable can't bash it. It's precise wide this is exclusively a national issue.

Wisconsin justice Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI. (Obtained by Fox News)

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On April 18, Flores-Ruiz was successful Dugan's courtroom for a pre-trial proceeding facing 3 authorities charges of misdemeanor home artillery for allegedly punching a roommate 30 times and hitting a pistillate wrong his residence. 

According to the DOJ, Dugan archetypal confronted national agents and ordered them to permission the courtroom earlier Flores-Ruiz's proceeding began. She told them they needed a judicial warrant, and to get 1 from the Chief Judge’s office. When the agents were nary longer successful her vicinity, she past canceled Flores-Ruiz's hearing, contempt the information that his alleged victims were present. 

That is erstwhile she allegedly personally escorted Flores-Ruiz done a restricted "jury door" that led to a non-public hallway, done which Flores-Ruiz exited the building. 

A photograph of the assemblage exit doorway that authorities judge Eduardo Flores-Ruiz utilized to permission the courtroom with assistance from Dugan. (Fox News)

Federal agents took him into custody aft a little ft chase. 

Ultimately, Rahmani said that Dugan's apprehension sends a wide message. 

"It doesn't substance if you're a cartel member, a coyote, section instrumentality enforcement, a justice – you can't bash it," helium said. "I mean, the instrumentality applies to everyone equally. So I deliberation this is perfectly sending the message. And I recognize that radical are upset astatine migration enforcement and each that, but you can't interruption the law, particularly if you are tasked with enforcing the law. That is your occupation arsenic a judge."

Dugan did not talk during her archetypal tribunal proceeding successful national court, but her lawyer was defiant. 

Hannah Dugan, Branch 31, speaks arsenic candidates seeking predetermination to Milwaukee County Circuit Court branches 31, 44 and 45 appeared during a forum astatine the Milwaukee Bar Association connected E. Wells St. successful Milwaukee connected Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (Mike De Sisti / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Fox News confirmed Tuesday that Dugan is not successful her courtroom, and the doors to her courtroom are locked. On Wednesday, she was temporarily suspended from her position. 

She has retained the instrumentality steadfast Mastantuono Coffee & Thomas. Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Steven Biskupic, a President George W. Bush appointee, has besides joined Dugan's defence team. So has different erstwhile Bush appointee, ex-U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement. 

"Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the regularisation of instrumentality and the principles of owed process for her full vocation arsenic a lawyer and a judge," the instrumentality steadfast said connected Dugan's behalf. "She has retained erstwhile United States Attorney Steven Biskupic to correspond her. Judge Dugan volition support herself vigorously, and looks guardant to being exonerated. This volition beryllium the grade of immoderate statements oregon interviews astatine this time."

Biskupic and Clement did not instrumentality requests for comment. 

Dugan is owed backmost successful tribunal connected May 15. 

Fox News' Patrick McGovern and Garrett Tenney contributed to this report.