Wisconsin judge’s arrest sparks statewide judicial tensions
A courthouse arrest sends shockwaves through Wisconsin’s judiciary, prompting urgent calls for guidance and solidarity among judges.
FIRST, AT 5:00, THE ARREST OF A MILWAUKEE COUNTY JUDGE IS REVERBERATING IN A COURTROOM UP NORTH. THE FBI ARRESTED MILWAUKEE JUDGE HANNA DUGAN LAST WEEK, ACCUSING HER OF SHIELDING A MAN FROM ICE AGENTS. NOW A JUDGE IN SAWYER COUNTY SAYS JUDGE DUGAN’S ARREST HAS HER QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT SHE’S RESPECTED OR PROTECTED AS A JUDGE. 12 NEWS NICK BOHR IS JOINING US LIVE AT THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. AND, NICK, YOU’VE OBTAINED THE EMAIL THE SAWYER COUNTY JUDGE SENT TO EVERY JUDGE IN THE STATE. RIGHT. ANOTHER JUDGE DID SHARE IT WITH ME. THE STORY CLEARLY MAKING WAVES NATIONWIDE, THE SAWYER COUNTY JUDGE EXPRESSING FRUSTRATION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN COURTROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND SAYS THE ARREST OF JUDGE DUGAN RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY COURTHOUSE HERE ON FRIDAY IS SENDING SHOCKWAVES IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST BY THE FBI DIRECTOR HIMSELF. MILWAUKEE JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN IS SEEN BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM MILWAUKEE COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN HANDCUFFS FRIDAY. SHE’S FACING FEDERAL CHARGES ACCUSING HER OF SHIELDING A MAN IN HER COURT FROM IMMIGRATION AGENTS. THE DRAMATIC ARREST LED SAWYER COUNTY JUDGE MONICA ISHAM TO SEND THIS EMAIL TO EVERY JUDGE IN WISCONSIN OVER THE WEEKEND, SAYING IT LED HER TO, QUOTE, NO LONGER FEEL PROTECTED OR RESPECTED AS A JUDGE IN THIS ADMINISTRATION. FURTHER, EICHHORN THREATENED, QUOTE, IF THERE IS NO GUIDANCE FOR US AND NO SUPPORT FOR US, I WILL REFUSE TO HOLD COURT. THE STATE SENATOR REPRESENTING THE HAYWARD AREA BLASTED JUDGE ISHAM’S EMAIL MONDAY NIGHT, TELLING 12 NEWS HER THREAT TO BOYCOTT COURT WAS, QUOTE, INAPPROPRIATE. SHE WAS WILLING TO NOT HOLD COURT, TO NOT DO HER JOB. AND WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO THE VICTIMS THAT ARE WAITING FOR JUSTICE FOR OTHER ISSUES IN SAWYER COUNTY? YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HOLD COURT BECAUSE YOU’RE MAD ABOUT ANOTHER JUDGE’S ACTIONS IN MILWAUKEE. BUT IN AN EMAIL RESPONSE TO JUDGE ISHAM, ALSO OBTAINED BY 12 NEWS, MILWAUKEE JUDGE ANNA BERRIOS, SCHRADER TELLS HER, QUOTE, WE NEED YOU TO MAINTAIN YOUR PLACE ON THE BENCH, OFFERING HELP WITH QUOTE OPTIONS FOR HOW TO RESPOND TO THESE CHALLENGES AND CHOOSE THOSE THAT ALLOW US TO UPHOLD OUR OATH TO SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION, EACH OTHER, AND THE PUBLIC WE SERVE. WE REACHED OUT TO JUDGE BERRIOS SCHRADER TO SEE IF SHE WANTED TO COMMENT ON THAT EMAIL EXCHANGE, BUT SHE DIDN’T RESPOND TO US. ISHA MOORE, MEANWHILE, DOESN’T PULL ANY PUNCHES IN HER EMAIL, SAYING, QUOTE, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ALLOWING ANYONE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF MY COURTROOM BY ICE AND SENT TO A CONCENTRATION CAMP, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT DUE PROCESS. NICK, IN THE EMAIL, JUDGE ISHA MOORE WRITES HER STANCE COULD COST HER HER JOB OR COULD EVEN GET HER ARRESTED. RIGHT. AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, SHE STILL IS HEARING CASES. SHE HAS CASES SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW. THAT THREAT NOT IMMEDIATE TO BOYCOTT. SHE SAYS SHE WANTS GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE AS TO HOW TO HANDLE IMMIGRATION AGENTS IN THE COURTROOM. SHE SAYS THEY HAVE A MEETING SET FOR EARLY NEXT MONTH, AND SHE’D LIKE TO HEAR SOME GUIDANCE AT THAT TIME. ALL RIGHT. AND WE’LL REPORT BACK. NICK BOHR REPORTING LIVE IN MILWAUKEE TONIGHT. A SECOND HIGH PROFILE ATTORNEY IS JOINING JUDGE DUGAN’S LEGAL TEAM. FORMER U.S. SOLICITOR GENERAL PAUL CLEMENT. A CEDARBURG NATIVE, HE’S ARGUED MORE THAN 100 CASES BEFORE THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. HE JOINS STEVEN BISKUPIC, THE FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY IN WISCONSIN’S EASTERN DISTRICT. HE’S BEST KNOWN FOR PROSECUTING SEVEN MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICERS IN THE HIGH PROFILE BEATING OF FRANK JUDE JUNIOR. JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN WILL REMAIN OFF THE BENCH WHILE SHE FACES CHARGES OF HELPING AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT ESCAPE FROM ICE AGENTS. THE CHIEF JUDGE HAS APPOINTED A RESERVE JUDGE TO TAKE OVER DUGAN’S CASELO
Wisconsin judge’s arrest sparks statewide judicial tensions
A courthouse arrest sends shockwaves through Wisconsin’s judiciary, prompting urgent calls for guidance and solidarity among judges.
Updated: 7:20 PM CDT Apr 29, 2025
The arrest of a Milwaukee County judge Friday is having repercussions across the state of Wisconsin. A judge in Sawyer County emailed colleagues over the weekend questioning whether she is respected or protected as a judge. The concerns were expressed in a full-page email to every judge in the state. The email was shared by another judge with WISN 12 News. It comes days after Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was handcuffed inside the courthouse and led to a waiting vehicle by more than a half dozen federal agents Friday morning. She’s facing federal charges for shielding a defendant in her court, in another case, from immigration agents waiting to detain him.The dramatic arrest of Judge Dugan led Sawyer County Judge Monica Isham in Hayward to send an email to every judge in Wisconsin, saying it led her to “no longer feel protected or respected as a judge in this administration.” Further, Isham threatened, “If there is no guidance for us and no support for us, I will refuse to hold court.”The state senator representing the Hayward area blasted Judge Isham’s email Monday night, telling 12 News her threat to boycott court was “inappropriate.” “She was willing to not hold court to not do her job and what does that say to the victims that are waiting for justice for other issues in Sawyer County?” asked Republican State Senator Romaine Quinn of Birchwood. “You are not going to hold court because you are mad about another judge’s actions in Milwaukee?” But in an email response to Judge Isham also obtained by 12 News, Milwaukee Judge Ana Berrios-Schroeder tells her “we need you to maintain your place on the bench,” offering help with “options for how to respond to these challenges, and choose those that allow us to uphold our oath to support the Constitution, each other and the public we serve.” Isham, meanwhile, doesn’t pull any punches in her email, saying flatly, “I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process.” Isham wrote she’s asking for some guidance at a Judicial District 10 meeting scheduled for May 9.
MILWAUKEE —The arrest of a Milwaukee County judge Friday is having repercussions across the state of Wisconsin.
A judge in Sawyer County emailed colleagues over the weekend questioning whether she is respected or protected as a judge. The concerns were expressed in a full-page email to every judge in the state. The email was shared by another judge with WISN 12 News.
It comes days after Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was handcuffed inside the courthouse and led to a waiting vehicle by more than a half dozen federal agents Friday morning. She’s facing federal charges for shielding a defendant in her court, in another case, from immigration agents waiting to detain him.
The dramatic arrest of Judge Dugan led Sawyer County Judge Monica Isham in Hayward to send an email to every judge in Wisconsin, saying it led her to “no longer feel protected or respected as a judge in this administration.” Further, Isham threatened, “If there is no guidance for us and no support for us, I will refuse to hold court.”
The state senator representing the Hayward area blasted Judge Isham’s email Monday night, telling 12 News her threat to boycott court was “inappropriate.”
“She was willing to not hold court to not do her job and what does that say to the victims that are waiting for justice for other issues in Sawyer County?” asked Republican State Senator Romaine Quinn of Birchwood. “You are not going to hold court because you are mad about another judge’s actions in Milwaukee?”
But in an email response to Judge Isham also obtained by 12 News, Milwaukee Judge Ana Berrios-Schroeder tells her “we need you to maintain your place on the bench,” offering help with “options for how to respond to these challenges, and choose those that allow us to uphold our oath to support the Constitution, each other and the public we serve.”
Isham, meanwhile, doesn’t pull any punches in her email, saying flatly, “I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process.”
Isham wrote she’s asking for some guidance at a Judicial District 10 meeting scheduled for May 9.
