Bill Essayli Disqualification Ruling Isn’t Enough, Defense Says

Bill Essayli can’t continue to use the power he enjoyed as the Central District of California’s acting US attorney under a different title, defense lawyers argued as they urged a judge to reconsider part of his ruling disqualifying Essayli from that position.

Judge J. Michael Seabright disqualified Essayli as acting US attorney in October. Since then, he has served as the office’s “first assistant US attorney”—a designation the judge allowed—but his supervising of cases is still unconstitutional, the federal public defender representing two defendants said Monday. His work still makes him an “inferior officer” that the Senate must confirm, they ...