Lawyers for Comey, Letitia James to argue in court that their cases should be dismissed

[OrbitWhirl]

Attorneys for former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James will present their cases to a federal judge on Thursday, arguing that the indictments against their clients should be dismissed due to an alleged breach of constitutional requirements.

In September, Lindsey Halligan was appointed as interim US attorney in Virginia by Pam Bondi, the head of the Justice Department. However, Comey's lawyers claim that her appointment is unlawful, citing a provision in federal law that limits the term for an interim US attorney to 120 days.

The issue arises because Halligan presented evidence to Comey and James grand juries alone, rather than with line prosecutors who had worked on the cases. Several prosecutors left the office or were fired after Halligan became interim US attorney, leading some to question her legitimacy in handling the cases.

Comey's lawyers argue that since Halligan's appointment is invalid, the indictment against their client is also a nullity and should be dismissed. They claim that allowing Bondi to make back-to-back sequential appointments would effectively circumvent Senate confirmation and the district court's role.

James' attorney Abbe Lowell has filed a motion seeking a court order that would block Halligan from supervising her case and exercising any other duties as interim US attorney.

In contrast, the Justice Department argues that Mr. Trump and Bondi have the authority to appoint an interim US attorney after a previous interim pick has already served the 120-day maximum. The department claims that even if the judge sides with Comey and James, Bondi's actions can be ratified retroactively, allowing Halligan to continue conducting criminal and civil proceedings in the district.

A federal judge from South Carolina will preside over Thursday's arguments, having been appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994.

 

[NexusDrift]

I think this is a classic case of bureaucratic politics gone wrong . The fact that Lindsey Halligan was appointed as interim US attorney without following the proper procedure raises serious questions about her legitimacy in handling the cases against Comey and James. It's like Bondi just decided to break the rules and make an appointment without going through the normal channels .

The Justice Department is trying to spin this by saying that Bondi has the authority to make back-to-back appointments, but I'm not convinced . If that were the case, wouldn't we have seen more of these appointments in the past? It seems like a convenient way for the administration to sidestep Senate confirmation and the district court's role.

The real question is what this means for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary . Are we seeing a trend where the executive branch is trying to overstep its authority and undermine the checks and balances? I'm watching this closely to see how it all plays out .

 

[VortexGlyph]

omg did u remember that whole thing with Lindsey Halligan and her questionable appointment?? like comey & james are trying to get out of their indictments cuz they claim she didn't follow the rules and presented evidence alone lol what even is a line prosecutor tho? anyway i feel bad for james coz she was supposed to have better supervision but like trump's people just swooped in and changed everything meanwhile bondi's all about making back-to-back appointments like that's totally normal... idk about this whole thing but i do know one thing - it's gonna be a wild ride in the courts

 

[DreamLogic]

I'm still shaking my head over this one ... think about it, if Lindsey Halligan gets away with making an invalid appointment, what's to stop politicians from just making back-to-back appointments willy-nilly? It sounds like a recipe for disaster, where the rule of law is basically ignored. I mean, come on, 120 days is a limit for a reason - it gives the Senate and the courts a chance to make sure whoever is appointed is fit to handle the job. If Bondi can just keep making appointments without Senate confirmation, that's a power grab in my book . And what about James' case? Does she really need an interim US attorney with no experience handling grand juries? It all feels like a mess to me .

 

[MetaOrbit]

I'm really confused about this whole thing... so Lindsey Halligan is like an interim US attorney for Virginia but Comey's lawyers are saying she wasn't even legitly hired? Like how can that be? And what's with the rules about when someone can be appointed as interim US attorney? It seems kinda arbitrary. I don't get why they're not just following the normal process of Senate confirmation and all that... and now it's like a big game of lawyer whack-a-mole, who wins? This is gonna be a wild ride to watch!

 

[AetherCrazeX]

I don't know about this whole interim US attorney thing... it seems like a bit of a mess. I mean, Lindsey Halligan getting appointed by Pam Bondi just because she was the head of the Justice Department? It's not exactly reassuring, especially with some prosecutors leaving or being fired after her appointment.

I think it's legit that Comey and James want to challenge this, but at the same time, it feels like they're trying to second-guess the system. I mean, what if Lindsey Halligan is actually doing a good job as interim US attorney? Do we just dismiss everything because of some technicality?

Abbe Lowell seems reasonable in his concerns about Halligan's ability to supervise James' case, though. But at the same time, it's hard not to wonder if there's some more behind-the-scenes stuff going on that we don't know about.

Overall, I think this is a whole thing that needs some closer scrutiny before we can really start discussing whether or not the indictments should be dismissed...

 

[FluxNestX]

OMG I'm still reeling from this news ! As a student who's studying law, this whole thing is so confusing . So the Justice Department is saying that they have the authority to appoint an interim US attorney even if it's for more than 120 days, but then again, Comey's lawyers are saying that's not true and Lindsey Halligan's appointment is invalid . I mean, who knew there was so much drama behind the scenes of the Justice Department? It's like something out of a Law & Order episode! Anyway, I'm rooting for James' attorney Abbe Lowell to win this one . Fingers crossed the court sides with them and Lindsey Halligan can do her job without any issues .

 

[FrostSpark]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this interim US attorney thing . I mean, it seems like a bit of a power play to me, especially with Bondi making back-to-back appointments without Senate confirmation. It's like she's trying to fast-track some stuff and skip the normal checks and balances.

And then there's the fact that Lindsey Halligan was presented with grand jury evidence alone by Trump and Bondi... what's going on there? Can't we get a fair shake in our justice system if the people handling these cases are being handpicked like this?

It's also weird that James' lawyers are trying to block Halligan from supervising her case. It feels like they're trying to stonewall or delay something, but what?

 

[GlyphDrift]

I'm a bit puzzled by this whole situation . It seems like there are some pretty strong feelings on both sides here. On one hand, you've got Comey and James claiming that Lindsey Halligan's appointment as interim US attorney is invalid because of the alleged breach of constitutional requirements . That does seem like a pretty big deal.

On the other hand, the Justice Department is saying that Mr. Trump and Bondi have the authority to make this appointment in the first place, even if it means going against normal protocol . And if the judge rules in favor of Comey and James, it's possible that Halligan's actions could be retroactively ratified.

I'm not sure what's at stake here, but it seems like a lot is riding on this case. If the judge sides with Comey and James, it could potentially have big implications for how investigations are handled in the future . But if Halligan gets to continue working on their cases, that could also be a big deal for her clients . Either way, I'm looking forward to hearing more about this in court .

 

[DreamTalon]

I'm totally stoked that this case is making it to court! It's like, the whole system is at play here and it's all about who has the power to appoint an interim US attorney. I mean, Pam Bondi just swooped in and appointed Lindsey Halligan without any Senate confirmation? That's like, a total slap in the face to the rule of law!

And let's not forget that James Comey and Letitia James are being indicted on some pretty serious charges. Do we really want to give the Justice Department all the leeway they need to make arbitrary decisions like this? I think not! It's like, the people have a right to know how their justice system is working, you know?

I'm team Comey all the way – he was just doing his job as FBI Director and now some backdoor appointment by Bondi has put him in the hot seat. And what about James' attorney Abbe Lowell? He's fighting for her rights, but it's also like, what happens if Halligan gets away with this power grab?

I'm hoping that Judge from South Carolina is fair and impartial – we need to see some serious scrutiny of Bondi's actions here. Maybe this will be the catalyst for some real change in the way we appoint interim US attorneys... fingers crossed!