“Normally, courts are aided in their decision-making through our system of adversarial testing," Judge Ho wrote, “which can be particularly helpful in cases presenting unusual fact patterns or in case of great public importance.”

He said that because the #DOJ & the mayor both want the charges dropped, “there has been no adversarial testing of the government’s position.”

Read Judge Ho’s Order in the #EricAdams #Corruption Case:

https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/a6299cfc2221a707/48b99d06-full.pdf

The judge, Dale E. Ho of Federal District Court in Manhattan, also called for additional briefs from the parties & said he would hold an oral argument on March 14 if he felt it necessary.

Judge Ho’s decision, explained in a 5-pg ruling, will prolong a tumultuous episode that has led to political & legal upheavals, with federal prosecutors in NY & Washington resigning & several of #EricAdams’s campaign opponents calling for him to step down.

A federal judge on Friday deferred ruling on the #DOJ’s request to drop the #corruption case against Mayor #EricAdams of #NYC, & appointed an outside lawyer to present #independent arguments on the motion, which was otherwise unopposed.

The lawyer the judge appointed, #PaulClement, is a political #conservative who was the US solicitor general during President George W. Bush’s admin.

Though the hearing was about #EricAdams, #EmilBove articulated a vision for the #DOJ that precludes it from prosecuting public officials who are useful to carrying out the #Trump admin’s political & policy objectives.

One of Bove’s rationales for dropping the Adams case was that the prosecution would “interfere with the defendant’s ability to govern in New York City” & thus has hurt the mayor’s ability to support Trump’s #immigration agenda.

In an extraordinary reflection of internal [#DOJ] turmoil, #EmilBove, the acting dpty AG, was the only person to formally rep the #Justice Dept at the hearing. It is highly unusual for such a *high-ranking* DOJ ofcl to represent the dept in court, & to do so alone.

#ToddBlanche, who is nominated to become [actual] dpty AG but hasn’t yet been confirmed, also attended as an observer. Until recently, both Bove & Blanche repped #Trump as his #criminal defense attys.

#law
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/19/eric-adams-case-justice-department-021004

#EmilBove said he is “ending weaponized govt, stopping the invasion of criminal illegal aliens, & eliminating drug cartels & transnational gangs from our homeland. For those at the dept who are w/me in those battles & understand that there are no separate sovereigns in this executive branch, we’re going to do great things to make America safe again. For those who do not support our critical mission, I understand there are templates for resignation letters available on the websites of NYT & CNN.”

In an insane statement after today’s hearing, #EmilBove, the acting deputy AG, invited other #DOJ officials to resign if they disagree w/his efforts to dismiss the charges against #EricAdams.

Read the #resignation letter by #DeniseCheung, a veteran DC federal prosecutor [pic]

She refused a #Trump admin demand to freeze environmental grant assets.

The head of the #criminal division in the US attorney’s office in DC resigned Tues morning after declining to comply with a Trump admin demand to freeze the assets of a multibillion-dollar Biden admin environmental grant initiative & launch a criminal investigation without evidence of wrongdoing.

Here is the start of my #DOJ / #EricAdams dismissal hearing :

https://masto.ai/@Nonilex/114032102673968065

We did not learn much new at this hearing. But Judge Ho compelled the acting no. 2 official at the #DOJ to defend the rationale for abandoning the case against Mayor #EricAdams & ultimately decided that he would take his time in assessing the government’s motion to dismiss. Already, this means that an embarrassing episode for the #Trump #Justice Department — one that led to the resignation of at least 8 prosecutors — will be prolonged.

Judge Ho says he will not make a decision about dismissing the case from the bench, and will instead consider everything put forth today, and make a reasoned decision about what to do next. “I’m grateful for your patience as I consider these issues carefully,” he said.

Court is adjourned.

It is worth noting that #DanielleSassoon, the former head of the Manhattan prosecutor’s office, said there was indeed a #QuidProQuo offered by #EricAdams’s lawyer in a meeting she attended, & that one of her prosecutors took notes & got scolded for doing so by #EmilBove, who had the notes collected at the end of the meeting.