An appeals court has admonished a federal judge in Wisconsin for claiming a convicted drug dealer's love for his family is akin to Adolf Hitler's love for his dog.

The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago on Monday ordered that the defendant, Jose Figueroa, be re-sentenced.

The court said comments during sentencing from Judge Rudolph Randa of eastern Wisconsin were odd.

Randa sentenced Figueroa to 20 years in prison for leading a drug conspiracy.

Leniency requests were made for Figueroa on grounds he loves his family. Randa dismissed those requests, saying: "Hitler was admired by his family ... loved his dog. Yet he killed 6 million Jews."

The judge also told Figueroa he would have been executed in some countries for such drug crimes.