A Judge's Exit: When Politics and Law Collide

In a surprising turn of events, Judge Hannah Dugan has decided to step down from her position. This comes after she was found guilty of obstructing an immigrant's arrest last month. Republicans had been pushing for her removal, and her resignation seems to have put an end to that. Dugan has been a judge for a while now. She claims she has always treated everyone fairly and kept her courtroom safe and respectful. But the case against her became too much of a distraction. She said she wanted to fight for herself and the independence of the judiciary. Last April, federal prosecutors said Dugan interfered with officers trying to arrest a man named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. They said she led him out through a private door. A jury found her guilty of felony obstruction.President Donald Trump had highlighted this case. He was cracking down on immigration at the time. Democrats thought the administration was using Dugan as an example to stop judges from opposing their policies. Republican leader Robin Vos was happy with Dugan's decision. He said she did the right thing by resigning. Democrat Ann Jacobs agreed with Dugan. She said Milwaukee needs a permanent judge while this fight continues. On April 18, immigration officers went to the Milwaukee County courthouse. They wanted to arrest Flores-Ruiz, who had reentered the country illegally. Dugan told them their warrant wasn't enough to arrest him. She directed them to her boss instead.