Judge Reyes Withdraws Demand in Golf Course Case

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes withdrew her demand that Justice Department lawyers identify themselves on a filing Monday, ending a nearly seven-hour courtroom dispute over a brief in the East Potomac Golf Links case. The move came after Reyes had denied the administration’s effort to remove her from the case. The filing was signed by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. Reyes had directed department attorneys to put their names on it, invoking Rule 11, which requires lawyers to stand behind factual assertions in court filings and allows sanctions for violations. Woodward said the request was not appropriate, and the attorneys declined to sign. Reyes set and later extended a deadline before ultimately withdrawing the demand. The filing dispute followed a Sunday submission responding to President Donald Trump’s statements about plans to redevelop the Washington golf course. Reyes said Trump’s description conflicted with an earlier government filing that said there was no agency action on the proposal. Woodward was the only signatory to the response. The administration had sought Reyes’s disqualification, arguing that her conduct in court showed bias. On October 18,...