Court disqualifies Trump-appointed U.S. lawyer from overseeing a number of legal instances

A federal decide disqualified appearing U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli in Southern California from a number of instances after concluding on Tuesday (October 28, 2025) that the Trump appointee has stayed within the short-term job longer than allowed by legislation.

U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright disqualified Essayli from supervising the legal prosecutions in three instances, siding with defence attorneys. Mr. Essayli has been unlawfully serving in his position since his resignation from the interim position on July 29, the decide wrote in his determination.

The determination represents one other setback to the Trump administration’s effort to increase handpicked appearing U.S. attorneys past the 120-day restrict set by federal legislation. A decide dominated in September that Sigal Chattah, the appearing U.S. lawyer for Nevada, was serving in her place illegally. Another decide disqualified appearing US lawyer in New Jersey, Alina Habba, in August.

However, the identical decide who disqualified Chattah dominated final week that he was pausing his earlier ruling whereas a federal appellate courtroom weighed an attraction from the US Department of Justice, permitting her to stay quickly concerned within the instances being prosecuted by her workplace.

An appellate courtroom heard arguments on Monday concerning Habba’s appointment as effectively, questioning authorities attorneys on their maneuvers to maintain Habba in place.

Under federal legislation, if a everlasting US lawyer is just not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate inside 120 days, judges of the federal district courtroom can appoint an interim till the emptiness is crammed. Essayli has not been confirmed by the US Senate.

Mr. Essayli’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.