Federal Judge Rules Top Los Angeles Federal Prosecutor Unlawfully Serving

A federal judge has ruled that Bill Essayli is unlawfully exercising the authority of the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, finding that the Trump administration's efforts to keep him in charge after his temporary appointment expired violated federal law. Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright disqualified Essayli from overseeing two criminal cases, though enforcement was delayed pending appeal. This decision represents another legal setback for the administration's attempts to install federal prosecutors without Senate confirmation.