Judge dismisses Eric Adams case and says it cannot be brought again, defying Trump DOJ

The judge overseeing the corruption case against Eric Adams has dismissed the charges against the New York City mayor, and in a spilt with the Trump Justice Department, ordered that the charges cannot be brought again.

The judge overseeing the corruption case against Eric Adams has dismissed the charges against the New York City mayor, and in a spilt with the Trump Justice Department, ordered that the charges cannot be brought again. Judge Dale Ho said his hands were essentially tied – even though he has concerns about the Justice Department’s reasons to dismiss the case – he could not force them to prosecute a defendant. Ho’s ruling criticized the Trump administration’s motives for dropping the case at a time when the White House is seeking to bolster its authority over the Justice Department and federal prosecutors. DOJ’s effort to drop the case and retaining the ability to restore charges resulted in the mass resignation of several Justice Department officials, including the acting US attorney in the Southern District of New York and the top career prosecutors overseeing public corruption cases. In a strongly-worded opinion on Tuesday, Ho rejected the Justice Department’s core argument – that New York prosecutors were politically motivated in bringing the case and that the charges were impacting the mayor’s ability to carry out Trump’s immigration agenda. “Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” he wrote in a 78-page opinion. He said DOJ’s position is “disturbing” because it implies public officials may receive special treatment if they go along with political priorities. “That suggestion is fundamentally incompatible with the basic promise of equal justice under the law.”