Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has resigned from her position following a criminal conviction. Her resignation comes as Wisconsin Assembly Republicans considered initiating impeachment proceedings against ‍her.

dugan was convicted after attempting ⁢to elude Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE) agents when they arrived at the county courthouse to arrest an individual. details of the original charges and conviction remain under seal.

While appealing her conviction, Dugan preemptively submitted ⁣her‍ resignation to Governor Tony Evers. She explained her decision in a ⁣letter,stating that Wisconsin citizens “deserve‍ to ⁣start the ⁢year with a judge on the bench ‍in Milwaukee County Branch 31 rather than have the fate ⁤of⁤ that court rest in a partisan fight ⁤in the state legislature.”

Dugan served as a judge for nine years. Governor Evers’ spokesperson, Britt⁣ Cudaback, confirmed the ⁤receipt ⁤of the resignation letter on Saturday and stated that the governor will ⁢not delay in appointing a replacement to the vacant bench seat.

Background on Impeachment in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin State Assembly has the sole power to impeach⁤ state officials, including judges. Impeachment requires a ⁢majority vote in the assembly. If⁣ impeached,⁢ the official is then tried by the State Senate, with a two-thirds ‍vote required for conviction and removal⁣ from office.⁣ Wisconsin Statute 6.85 details‍ the grounds and procedures for impeachment.

Previous Wisconsin Judicial impeachment attempts

While‍ relatively rare, attempts at judicial impeachment have occurred in Wisconsin’s history.The most recent instance involved a judge in ‍the 1930s. prosperous impeachments are even rarer,highlighting the high bar for ⁤removing a judge from office.