Federal judge said prosecutors picked to replace Alina Habba repeated error of bypassing congressional approval

Federal judge said prosecutors picked to replace Alina Habba repeated error of bypassing congressional approval

Three prosecutors installed by Donald Trump’s administration to lead the New Jersey attorney general’s office after the president’s former personal lawyer was disqualified from the role in December were also illegally appointed, a federal judge has ruled.

Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, handpicked the three to replace Alina Habba, who resigned after a succession of district and appeals court rulings that she was serving illegally because she never received Senate confirmation.

On Monday, federal judge Matthew Brann said Bondi’s actions repeated the same error of bypassing congressional approval for the appointments. He stopped short of ordering their removal pending a government appeal – but, in a blistering 130-page ruling, said overreach by the executive branch could jeopardise all of its cases before him.

  • Sonicdemon86@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    4 days ago

    Yeah all of this stuff and noone has been held in contempt still. It is still just strongly worded letters.

    • ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      4 days ago

      no one has been held in contempt still

      That’s just false. One already has been and more are in process.

      It is still just strongly worded letters.

      That too is demonstrably false. It’s what the sworn declarations are all about:

      And so to ensure future compliance, Judge Farber said that going forward, he’s going to require two sworn declarations in every immigration habeas case. One from the head of the civil division in the US Attorney’s office, attesting that she conveyed the court’s order to the appropriate personnel at ICE and advised them that compliance is mandatory, and one from the New York ICE field office director, or by the New York ICE field office deputy director, attesting that he received the order and will ensure that it’s carried out. That’s not just for the court’s informational purposes. That’s Judge Farber saying, “I do not trust you and you’re going to have to give me the name of the person to hold in contempt if ICE ignores my orders.” – from the above linked video, approx 11:30 and forward

      That is demonstrable fact. Sworn declarations are not just strongly worded letters, any more than orders or judgements are. To expect judges to employ something other than the tools of their trade – the “worded letters” you scorn – is insane.

      Contempt rulings against ICE attorneys have already happened. Clearly more are coming. But if you can’t accept the fact of what tangibly IS, I do not expect you to accept the fact of what may possibly, intangibly be in the future, so there’s that.

      Sometimes people just like to shit on anything factually, tangibly good that is happening in the right direction because it is not ALL and PERFECT and EVERYTHING they want it to be. For myself, I appreciate that there are still people actually fighting and doing what they personally can do within their own sphere of influence, like these judges. They deserve to have the truth told about the good they are doing.

      • Sonicdemon86@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        4 days ago

        Yeah that is one where she said “please hold me in contempt, so I can sleep” and the DOJ fired her. No jail time. We will see if that other judge follows through. From my perspective it is like two dogs barking at each other until the gate opens and they both don’t do anything. Until there is jail time nothing changes. Unless that is not what being held in contempt is.