Wisconsin

Former Wisconsin judge to be sentenced after conviction in obstructing arrest of Mexican immigrant

Published

3 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Former Wisconsin judge to be sentenced after conviction in obstructing arrest of Mexican immigrant

Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of felony obstruction for helping an immigrant evade federal officers in a case that highlighted President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in federal court.

Dugan, 67, faces up to five years in prison after a jury convicted her on Dec. 19. She resigned from her position as a Milwaukee County circuit judge two weeks later amid threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers. She had been a judge for nine years.

Trump administration tried to make an example out of Milwaukee judge

The Trump administration brought the case against Dugan as the president pressed ahead with his sweeping immigration crackdown. Trump’s administration and his allies branded Dugan as an activist judge, while Dugan’s attorneys said during the trial that the Trump administration was trying to make an example out of Dugan to “crush her.”

Immigrant rights advocates and other Dugan allies argued that the administration was trying to use her case to blunt judicial opposition to Trump’s immigration efforts. The case became a bellwether nationally in the conflict between the judiciary and Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a fierce Trump loyalist running for Wisconsin governor, urged authorities to “lock her up” in a social media post following her conviction.

Dugan’s attorneys declined to comment ahead of the sentencing. Dugan did not testify during her trial, but her attorneys said she would be making comments to the court on Wednesday. That would be her first public comments on the case in more than a year.

Prosecutors push for ‘serious sentence’

Dugan’s attorneys argued that as a judge she was immune from prosecution. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, who will hand down the sentence, has rejected attempts by Dugan to vacate her obstruction conviction.

Prosecutors argued in a sentencing memo filed last week that Dugan violated her oath as a judge and put both law enforcement and the public at risk.

“Judges are entrusted with tremendous discretion, but there is a line they cannot cross,” Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling wrote. “The defendant crossed that line.”

Dugan’s attorneys argued she has “punished enough,” including resigning as a judge and facing threats of violence. They argued in her sentencing memo that she should not be sentenced to any jail time besides the part of one day she already spent in federal custody.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, the presentence report calls for 15 to 21 months behind bars. The judge is not bound by those guidelines.

Prosecutors said the average sentence for obstruction cases is 16 months, but they did not recommend a sentence.

“This was a serious offense, and it warrants a correspondingly serious sentence,” Frohling wrote.

No matter what she is sentenced to, Dugan’s attorneys said they plan to file an appeal.

Dugan’s case was a first for Wisconsin

Dugan’s case marked the first time that a state judge in Wisconsin went to trial on charges of obstructing immigration agents. She was found not guilty of concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor.

On April 18, 2025, immigration officers went to the Milwaukee County courthouse after learning 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case.

Dugan confronted agents outside her courtroom and directed them to the chief judge’s office because she told them their administrative warrant wasn’t sufficient grounds to arrest Flores-Ruiz.

After the agents left, she led Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, followed him outside and arrested him after a foot chase. A week later, FBI agents arrested Dugan in the courthouse, leading her outside in handcuffs.

Flores-Ruiz was deported in November.

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Wisconsin

UPDATE: Wisconsin woman breaks record, swims entirety of Lake Winnebago

Published

14 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Press Room

UPDATE: Wisconsin woman breaks record, swims entirety of Lake Winnebago

MENASHA, Wis. (WFRV) — History was made today, as Melodee Liegel successfully completed her nearly 17-hour swim just before 9:00 p.m. on July 7.

The swim, which started at the Fond du Lac Lighthouse and ended in Menasha, was just under 28 whole miles in length. Liegel began her swim at 4:00 in the morning, treading water only occasionally for snack and rest breaks.

Liegel, a resident of Delafield, Wisconsin, is the first person in history to complete the swim, which covered the entirety of Lake Winnebago.

Local fishing guide Troy Peterson was riding alongside Melodee as she completed her swim. His Facebook has more information, as does their website tracking her swim.

WFRV will update this story as necessary.

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Wisconsin

Northeast Wisconsin says goodbye as Savannah Wood leaves FOX 11 for a new chapter

Published

24 hours ago

July 7, 2026

Press Room

Northeast Wisconsin says goodbye as Savannah Wood leaves FOX 11 for a new chapter

GREEN BAY (WLUK) — It was a bittersweet sign off on Good Day Wisconsin Tuesday.

It was morning anchor and field reporter, Savannah Wood’s last day at FOX 11.

The Good Day Wisconsin crew says goodbye to Savannah Wood on her last day at FOX 11, July 7, 2026. (WLUK)

She thanked the station and the Northeast Wisconsin community for embracing her over the past two years.

You’ve all watched many of my early morning field trips across Northeast Wisconsin over the last couple of years, many, too many to count, and I’ve had the privilege of getting to experience so much of what makes this community truly what it is and meet amazing people along the way,” Savannah said.

Savannah will be staying in news but going back to her home state of Pennsylvania to be closer to family.

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Goodbye and good luck Savannah!

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin DOT begins $6.87M I-41 ramp deck overlay upgrades in Brown County Tuesday

Published

1 day ago

July 7, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin DOT begins .87M I-41 ramp deck overlay upgrades in Brown County Tuesday

GREEN BAY (WLUK) — Delays and disruptions will be coming to your daily commute.

A project involving I-41 flyover ramps in Brown County starts Tuesday, where a total of six flyover ramps will see closures.

The good news is, they won’t all be closed at the same time.

Delays and disruptions will be coming to your daily commute. A project involving I-41 flyover ramps in Brown County starts Tuesday, where a total of six flyover ramps will see closures. July 6, 2026 (WLUK/Tony Langfellow).

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said this project is necessary to help preserve the roads.

It’s been more than 10 years since the I-41 corridor was completed.

Now with the creation of some new technology, six I-41 flyover ramps in Brown County and one in Winnebago County are getting an upgrade.

This includes the I-41/I-43 interchange and the I-41/WIS 29 interchange.

“The project will be milling off the existing deck overlay and then be doing any necessary deck repairs. And then we’ll be putting on this new overlay, which is a more robust weather resistant overlay that will protect the bridge decks here,” Wisconsin DOT Project Manager Josh Lang said.

The new overlay is called “Polyester Polymer Concrete.”

But what exactly is that? When you’re driving on the ramps, you may notice patchy black and white spots on the road — that’s what the DOT is fixing, with a new specialized type of concrete.

Lang said the new overlay is key for high traffic areas.

“The main purpose of this material is to protect the bridge decks. That’s what our structures see the most wear and tear, but it does have those added benefits. The traction benefits the durability and such there,” Lang said.

The $6.87 million project is being funded through a mixture of state and federal funding.

Lang said the project is happening now because this new overlay technology didn’t exist until after the original highway project was complete.

There are no other issues with the flyover ramps, according to Lang.

Most of the closures will be quick, but will cause delays and detours.

Lang called this project an important step in preserving the roads for years to come.

“It’s really exciting. It’s really a great application of this material and I’m excited to see how this performs to keep our infrastructure, everything that was built with this 41 expansion in great shape,” Lang said.

The first ramp closure starts Tuesday with I-41 south to 29 west.

Lang said that work will last about a week.

The DOT expects all of the Brown County improvements to be done by September.

The Winnebago County project will begin in 2027.