Judge Reyes Denies DOJ Bid to Remove Her From Golf Case

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes denied the Justice Department’s motion to remove her from the East Potomac golf-course case, keeping her in charge of a dispute over tree removal and a proposed renovation of the public course in Washington, D.C. In an opinion issued Sunday, October 18, Reyes said the government had not met the demanding legal standard for disqualification. The ruling addresses who will oversee the lawsuit, not whether the proposed renovation is lawful or what reviews it requires. The Justice Department filed its motion on Friday, alleging that Reyes had shown hostility toward administration lawyers, questioned their intelligence and prejudged issues. Those assertions were the department’s claims. Reyes rejected the request, citing the record of the case and noting that she had previously declined repeated requests by plaintiffs to restrict government work at the course. The dispute intensified after officials notified the court at 4:55 p.m. on October 9 that tree removal was planned. Reyes’s October 13 opinion said about 430 trees were cut before rain interrupted the work. The court has temporarily barred further removals through October 26. The administration...