On July 24, 2026, Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled that Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor Bill Essayli was unlawfully serving as a de‑facto U.S. attorney under a statutory arrangement the court found invalid.
Essayli had first been sworn in as interim U.S. attorney for the Central District of California in April 2025, resigned at the 120‑day limit, and was then appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi as first assistant U.S. attorney—a move the Justice Department used to keep him at the helm.
The judge ordered Essayli be barred from supervising or participating in two criminal prosecutions: Jaime Hector Ramirez, charged with felon‑in‑possession of a firearm, and Tu Anh Tran, charged with interstate stolen property.
Essayli’s office said it respectfully disagreed with the order, noting presidential and Attorney General authority to name supervisors, and warned the matter would be decided by the Supreme Court.
The ruling leaves the indictments intact but suspends Essayli’s supervisory role; the Justice Department has five business days to request a stay while an appeal is pursued, and the courts will decide whether the disqualification takes effect.