A federal judge has refused to overturn the obstruction conviction of former Wisconsin circuit court judge Hannah Dugan, who was found guilty of helping an undocumented man evade immigration agents at her courthouse.
The ruling keeps Dugan's felony conviction intact and moves her closer to sentencing, though she is unlikely to serve prison time.
US District Judge Lynn Adelman declined to grant Dugan's motions for a new trial or reversal of her conviction, ruling that the attempted arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz did count as a pending proceeding under federal obstruction law.
Dugan's attorneys argued her conviction should be thrown out based on a federal appeals court ruling in a separate Virginia immigration case, but Judge Adelman disagreed.
Dugan faces up to five years in prison but is widely expected to receive probation given her clean record and nonviolent conviction.
