The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an administrative order on Tuesday calling for Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan to be “temporarily relieved of her official duties.”
Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding on Friday after evidence came to light that she had shielded an illegal immigrant from federal agents, according to a criminal complaint.
She was also charged with concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest.
The order on Tuesday reads that Dugan “is temporarily prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the State of Wisconsin.”
The state Supreme Court said the order will remain in effect “until further order of the court.”
The Wisconsin Court System confirmed with Fox News on Tuesday afternoon that Dugan will not return to the bench this week, adding that her caseload will be covered by other judges.
Dugan is expected back in federal court on May 15 to face federal charges of felony obstruction of a federal agency and concealing a person to help them avoid arrest, which is a misdemeanor.
The FBI arrested Dugan on Friday for allegedly hiding a previously deported illegal immigrant in her jury room to stop him from being arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Federal agents from ICE, FBI, CBP and DEA attempted to arrest Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz after his scheduled criminal court appearance before Dugan on April 18 to face three misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly beating up two people.
Dugan demanded that the officers proceed to the chief judge’s office and, after his hearing ended, escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint.
Dugan appeared in federal court in Milwaukee on Friday and made no public comments during the brief hearing, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, told the court, “Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety.”
Dugan disputed the accuracy of local reports that claimed she had shielded the illegal immigrant from ICE.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Dugan had responded to the accusations in its publication last Tuesday, writing, “Nearly every fact regarding the ‘tips’ in your email is inaccurate.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted Dugan’s actions on Fox’s “America Reports.”
“We could not believe that a judge really did that,” Bondi said. “You cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her. It was a domestic violence case of all cases, and she’s protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime.”
Bondi said Flores-Ruiz beat up two people, “a guy and a girl.”
“[He] beat the guy, hit the guy 30 times, knocked him to the ground, choked him, beat up a woman so badly; they both had to go to the hospital,” she said.
Fox News’ Patrick McGovern, Michael Dorgan, Jake Gibson and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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