It seemed like a typical Monday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah C. Dugan‘s courtroom.

However, one person was noticeably missing: The judge.

Dugan’s docket for April 28 — and presumably for days to come — was handed off to reserve judge David Feiss, a retired circuit court judge and former prosecutor.

Feiss was brought in following Dugan’s April 25 arrest on charges she obstructed federal authorities from arresting a Mexican citizen who appeared in her courtroom.

The two charges against Dugan, who typically handled misdemeanor cases, carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $350,000 fine.

Dugan is not on administrative leave, according to a statement from the Wisconsin Court System.

Still, what transpired in Dugan’s courtroom sparked days of protests and has emboldened her supporters to accuse the federal government of overreach in its authority, while prompting detractors to call for her permanent removal.

More: Politicians, lawyers and more react to arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan

Who is reserve judge David Feiss?

On the day Dugan was arrested, a paper sign on the door to her courtroom read that cases on her docket that day were being heard by Laura Crivello, another circuit judge.

Feiss was on the dais in Dugan’s courtroom on Monday.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin’s School of Law, Feiss began working as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County in the mid 1980s, until he became a judge in 2015.

He retired from the bench in 2023. 

More: Wisconsin Republicans signal they want to remove Judge Hannah Dugan. Here’s how that may work.

What is a reserve judge? What do they do?

In Wisconsin, retired judges can be assigned to hear cases when the need arises.

There are two kinds of reserve judges:

A “permanent reserve judge” is one made to serve an assignment for a period of six months. Permanent reserve judges perform the same duties as other judges and may be reappointed for subsequent periods, if the need arises.

A “temporary reserve judge” is one who is selected to serve such specified duties on a day-by-day basis.

Both are appointed by a chief judge.

Things in Dugan’s courtroom, with Feiss at the helm, appeared to run smoothly on Monday. Nine items were on Dugan’s docket for the day.

Many defendants appeared by Zoom and weren’t in the courtroom.

Some lawyers asked for their cases previously scheduled to be heard by Dugan to be rescheduled, though it appeared the requests were for practical issues, such as defendants looking to change pleas or simply needing more time to shape their cases.

No one said outright that Dugan’s arrest played a role in their schedule changes.

More: What’s next in Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan’s case?