Judge Ejects Federal Prosecutor From Court and Orders Bosses to Testify
Source: New York Times
Judge Ejects Federal Prosecutor From Court and Orders Bosses to Testify
Judge Zahid Quraishi ordered a hearing on who had the authority to lead New Jersey's top federal law enforcement office.
The events on Monday in Judge Zahid N. Quraishi's courtroom were the latest indications of growing tensions between the Justice Department and the federal judiciary in New Jersey. Tom Williams
By Jonah E. Bromwich and Tracey Tully
March 17, 2026
Updated 11:38 a.m. ET
A federal judge threw a top prosecutor from the New Jersey U.S. attorney's office out of his courtroom during a sentencing hearing this week and demanded that the office's leadership testify about who had authority over their actions, according to court documents. ... The rapid sequence of events on Monday in the courtroom of Judge Zahid N. Quraishi was the latest indication of growing tensions between the Justice Department and the federal judiciary in New Jersey. It came during the scheduled sentencing of a man who last year agreed to plead guilty to possession of child pornography.
The hearing did not go as prosecutors had planned. Judge Quraishi grew frustrated with the office's head of appeals, Mark Coyne, who had not formally disclosed that he would appear, and fiercely interrogated a more junior prosecutor about whether the former interim U.S. attorney, Alina Habba, still had some role in operating the office. ... Judge Quraishi eventually threw Mr. Coyne out.
The judge then ordered the three leaders of the New Jersey office, who last week were found to be occupying their positions unlawfully, to appear next month to testify about their office's leadership structure. Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed the unconventional three-person leadership team in December after Ms. Habba was disqualified. The leaders are Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio.
Ms. Habba is now a senior adviser to the attorney general and supervises U.S. attorneys around the United States. She has been in the New Jersey office in recent weeks. It is unclear why. Her presence alone would not be inappropriate or out of the ordinary given her position. It is unclear what motivated Judge Quraishi's questions. ... Asked for comment, Ms. Habba said she had absolutely no role in operating the office. "I'm not the U.S. attorney anymore," she said. "I left my post."
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Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in the New York region for The Times. He is focused on political influence and its effect on the rule of law in the area's federal and state courts.
Tracey Tully is a reporter for The Times who covers New Jersey, where she has lived for more than 20 years.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/nyregion/judge-quraishi-new-jersey-attorneys-office.html?unlocked_article_code=1.T1A.hUK3.dDpb80LuZsm9&smid=tw-share
Hat tip, Joe.My.God.
https://www.joemygod.com/2026/03/doj-prosecutor-ejected-from-courtroom-over-habba/
https://www.nytimes.com/by/jonah-e-bromwich
https://www.nytimes.com/by/tracey-tully
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