Overview
- A federal jury on Thursday found Dugan guilty of obstruction and acquitted her of a separate hiding/harboring charge after six hours of deliberation.
- The obstruction count carries a potential sentence of up to five years under federal law, and a sentencing date has not been set.
- Prosecutors said Dugan confronted immigration agents outside her courtroom, wrongly told them their administrative order was insufficient, and directed them to the chief judge’s office.
- Court filings state she then handled the defendant’s matter off the record, permitted future appearances by Zoom, and escorted him through a private jury door before agents later arrested him after a foot chase.
- Homeland Security said the defendant, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, was deported in November, and the verdict has been cast by federal officials as part of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement push as Democrats warn of a chilling effect on judges.