Judge bars Bill Essayli from two prosecutions

A federal judge ruled that Bill Essayli was unlawfully serving as de facto U.S. attorney in Los Angeles and barred him from participating in or supervising two criminal prosecutions. The order by U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright does not take effect immediately, leaving Essayli in his current role while the Justice Department can seek a stay pending appeal. The cases involve Jaime Hector Ramirez and Tu Anh Tran. Seabright denied their requests to dismiss the indictments, finding they had not shown the substantial prejudice required for that remedy. The order bars Essayli from involvement in the prosecutions, including supervising the attorneys handling them, but does not end either case. Under the schedule set by Seabright, the government has five business days to request a stay. If the request is denied, the disqualifications are due to take effect one week later, unless the judge or an appellate court issues another order. The Justice Department’s next step will determine whether the restrictions take effect on that schedule. Essayli said he disagrees with the ruling and maintains that the president and attorney general have the authority to select Justice Department...