Federal Judge Rules Bill Essayli Unlawfully Serving as Los Angeles Prosecutor
A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in southern California, is unlawfully serving as the head of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright disqualified Essayli from overseeing two specific criminal prosecutions, marking a legal setback for the Justice Department’s efforts to keep him in the role without Senate confirmation.
The ruling does not immediately remove Essayli from office. Judge Seabright granted federal prosecutors five business days to request a stay while the Department of Justice pursues an appeal. The appointment dispute stems from April 2025, when Essayli—a former Republican state lawmaker and ally of Donald Trump—became interim U.S. attorney without a formal presidential nomination.
Legal Battle Over Trump Administration Appointments
When Essayli’s 120-day interim appointment expired, the Trump administration gave him an acting title and later designated him as a first assistant and special attorney to maintain his leadership. Judge Seabright rejected these title maneuvers, citing an August federal appellate court ruling against a Nevada justice department leader in a similar appointment challenge. The judge concluded that Essayli was functioning as a unlawful “de facto” U.S. attorney because the Justice Department granted him powers broad enough to occupy the top job without proper legal authority.
BREAKING: A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as Los Angeles's top federal prosecutor and disqualified him from two criminal cases.Essayli is the prosecutor who flagged 20,000 likely noncitizens on California voter rolls and sued to keep their…
Similar appointment challenges have unfolded. In December, Alina Habba was disqualified from the top prosecutor position in New Jersey, though she remained at the agency as a senior adviser.
Impact on Active Federal Prosecutions
Judge Seabright’s order bars Essayli from participating in or supervising two specific criminal cases: United States v. Ramirez, involving Jaime Hector Ramirez charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and the prosecution of Tu Anh Tran for possessing property stolen from interstate or foreign shipment. While the judge removed Essayli from supervising those matters, he rejected defense requests to dismiss the underlying indictments, finding that the defendants had not demonstrated substantial prejudice.
Defense lawyer H Dean Steward praised the decision as a victory for the rule of law and the US constitution, telling the Los Angeles Times that the Trump administration violated the law in an effort to install minions as chief federal prosecutors. Conversely, Essayli defended his position in a statement, saying he respectfully disagreed with the court and that the president and attorney general possess the authority to select supervisors within the Justice Department.
Appeals and Supreme Court Prospects
The Department of Justice stated its intention to appeal the ruling, pushing the dispute toward higher courts. Essayli indicated that he expects the Supreme Court to make the ultimate decision on his appointment. If the government’s request for a stay is denied by the district court and higher courts do not intervene, the disqualifications regarding the two active prosecutions will take effect one week following the expiration of the five-day filing window.
