The Wisconsin Supreme Court has temporarily suspended Hannah Dugan’s judicial powers, but the order makes no mention of suspending her pay.
In a past case involving a judge accused of a felony, Brett Blomme, the Wisconsin court did specifically withhold his pay as well as his powers.
“The court has learned that Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah C. Dugan has been charged with two federal criminal offenses, one of which is a felony and one of which is a misdemeanor,” the Wisconsin Court wrote in an order on April 29, 2025.
“This court is charged in the Wisconsin Constitution with exercising superintending and administrative authority over the courts of this state. In the exercise of that constitutional authority and in order to uphold the public’s confidence in the courts of this state during the pendency of the criminal proceeding against Judge Dugan, we conclude, on our own motion, that it is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties.”
Dugan is the Milwaukee County Judge accused of helping a previously deported illegal immigrant, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, evade ICE through a non-public jury door (he then led agents on a foot chase, the affidavit says). Dugan has assembled a high-powered legal team to fight the charges. Ruiz was initially deported under President Barack Obama. The Trump administration arrested him after discovering that he was back in the country when he landed in Dugan’s court on charges of battery, domestic violence related.
The court continued, “It is ordered, in the exercise of the court’s superintending and administrative authority over all courts in the state, Wis. Const. art. VII, 3(1), that Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah C. Dugan is temporarily prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the State of Wisconsin, effective the date of this order and until further order of the court.”
The order bears the typed name of Samuel A. Christensen, Clerk of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s Communications office sent out the order, writing, “Please find the attached administrative order issued by the Wisconsin Supreme Court this afternoon.”
WRN noticed that the order doesn’t mention withholding Dugan’s pay. We sent a follow-up email to the Communications office and asked, “Hi, is Dugan’s pay being suspended also? Thanks.”
We received this quick response, “Thank you for reaching out. The Court’s official response to your question is that: ‘The order speaks for itself. All actions taken by the court are laid out in the order.'”
In contrast, when Blomme was suspended (on child porn accusations), the court wrote, “His judicial salary is temporarily withheld” along with the suspension of judicial powers.
