Courts and Prosecution

An out‑of‑district federal judge dismissed New York Attorney General Letitia James’s indictment—charging bank fraud and false statements over a 2020 Norfolk mortgage—after finding that interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully appointed; the dismissal was without prejudice and turned solely on that appointment defect, with Halligan having been the lone prosecutor before the grand jury. Prosecutors sought to refile but a Norfolk grand jury declined to re‑indict; DOJ may appeal or try again, while James (who has pleaded not guilty) called the charges baseless and has accused investigators of politicized and "outrageous" conduct.