Federal Judge Declares Trump-Appointed Alina Habba Unqualified as Acting US Attorney for New Jersey, Paving Way for Appellate Review

In a significant development on Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Alina Habba, previously President Trump’s personal lawyer, does not hold legal authority as the acting U.S Attorney for New Jersey. This decision could potentially pave the way for a review by an appellate court concerning the Trump administration’s approach to installing key prosecutors across the nation.

Judge Matthew Brann of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, who was assigned two cases questioning Habba’s authority, made the determination in his ruling. He stated, “Given the question regarding whether Ms. Habba is lawfully executing the duties and responsibilities of the U.S Attorney’s office for the District of New Jersey, I find that she is not.”

He further added, “Consequently, since she is not currently eligible to perform these duties on an interim basis, she must be disqualified from involvement in any ongoing cases.”

The legitimacy of Habba’s position as the highest federal law enforcement official in New Jersey has been contested by defendants involved in two criminal cases. They argue that her appointment as acting U.S Attorney is illegitimate under federal law.

The verdict is likely to be appealed, which could result in additional complications within the federal criminal court system of New Jersey.

This story remains ongoing and updates will follow.