Overview
- Habba stepped down after the Third Circuit unanimously affirmed that she was serving unlawfully, upholding an August district court ruling.
- The Justice Department said it will seek further review of the appellate decision and reassigned Habba as Senior Advisor to the Attorney General for U.S. Attorneys.
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox, and Ari Fontecchio to supervise the New Jersey office’s criminal, civil/appellate, and administrative work.
- New Jersey judges had paused sentencings, plea deals, and trial dates during the legal dispute, reflecting broader operational fallout from contested appointments.
- Similar court challenges have toppled other interim appointments, including in the Eastern District of Virginia where cases against James Comey and Letitia James were dismissed after the prosecutor was disqualified.