A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Justice Department's top prosecutor in Los Angeles has served unlawfully in his role for months, the latest court to push back on the Trump administration's efforts to name acting prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright ruled that acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who oversees the Justice Department's outpost in the Central District of California, cannot participate in prosecuting three people who were charged with gun crimes. The judge rejected a request by the three defendants to toss out their charges altogether.

Essayli — a former California Republican state lawmaker — was named interim U.S. attorney in April, a role that's typically limited to just 120 days. But days before the clock ran out, Essayli resigned and U.S. Attorney Gener

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