Defense Lawyers Try Again to Remove Senior Federal Prosecutor in Los Angeles

Attorneys for criminal defendants facing weapons charges have filed for a second time to disqualify a Trump administration appointee as the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.
The new motion filed on Nov. 10 comes after Judge Michael Seabright of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii ruled on Oct. 28 that Bilal “Bill” Essayli was unlawfully installed as acting U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, but Seabright declined to dismiss indictments against three criminal defendants who asked for Essayli to be removed from his post.
He also ruled that although Essayli was not entitled to serve as acting U.S. attorney, he may continue to supervise the federal prosecutor’s office because he was named first assistant U.S. attorney for the judicial district and the U.S. attorney post is currently vacant….