跟进：联邦法官裁定洛杉矶首席联邦检察官 Bill Essayli 违法任职：禁止其监督两起案件，裁定暂缓待上诉
据路透社报道，美国联邦地区法官 J. Michael Seabright 10月27日在檀香山作出裁定，认定负责加州中区的首席联邦检察官 Bill Essayli 违法以「事实上的联邦检察官」身份任职，违反联邦职位空缺法律，并禁止他参与或监督两起刑事案件；裁定同时暂缓执行，等待政府向第九巡回上诉法院上诉。
Seabright 在裁定中写道：「总而言之，Essayli 正在违法以『事实上的联邦检察官』身份任职。」裁定禁止 Essayli 参与或监督两名被告的案件：Jaime Hector Ramirez 被控以重罪犯身份持有枪支与弹药，Tu Anh Tran 被控占有从跨州或境外运输中盗窃的财物。法官同时拒绝了两名被告撤销各自起诉的请求，理由是两人没有证明裁定所要求的重大损害。
Essayli 的任职安排是这场争议的核心。他于2025年4月出任加州中区临时联邦检察官，该区覆盖 Los Angeles 等七个县、约2000万居民，是全美最大的联邦司法区之一。联邦检察官通常须经总统提名、参议院确认；临时任职依法有120天期限。期限届满前后，时任司法部长 Pam Bondi 将 Essayli 改任为特别检察官，并指定他为首席助理联邦检察官，使他继续实际主持该办公室；他从未获得总统正式提名，也未经参议院确认。
这已是 Seabright 第二次就 Essayli 的任职资格作出裁定。2025年10月，他曾裁定 Essayli 不得合法担任代理联邦检察官，但允许他以首席助理等其他头衔监督案件。今年8月，第九巡回上诉法院在内华达州一案中裁定，司法部不能仅以改换头衔、全权履职的方式，让未经参议院确认的 Sigal Chattah 继续主持联邦检察官办公室。Seabright 表示，这项上诉裁定改变了法律格局。
司法部长 Todd Blanche 今年9月23日曾发布修订后的授权安排，试图收窄 Essayli 的权限、与其内华达州同行的情形作出区分。Seabright 在10月13日的听审中曾当庭追问这项修订的实际效果；在本周的裁定中，他认定修订后的安排仍然赋予 Essayli 足够广泛的权力，使其实际上占据着空缺的联邦检察官职位。
Essayli 在裁定后发表声明称：「我们恭敬地不同意法院的这项裁定。总统与司法部长完全有权在司法部内部选任主管。重要的是，今天的裁定自动暂缓执行，政府可以申请全面暂缓，在上诉期间维持现状。」他表示，这一问题最终将由最高法院决定，并期待在此之前继续履行现职。据多家媒体报道，政府有五个工作日提出暂缓申请；若申请被拒，禁止参与两案的裁定将在一周后生效，除非更高一级法院介入。
挑战 Essayli 任职资格的辩方律师 H. Dean Steward 称这项裁定是「法治与美国宪法的胜利」。
这起争议是特朗普政府围绕未经参议院确认的联邦检察官任职安排所面临的连串法律挑战之一。第二巡回上诉法院今年8月曾认定纽约州北部一名主持对纽约州总检察长 Letitia James 调查的检察官违法任职；政府已请求最高法院推翻第九巡回的内华达州裁定与第二巡回的相关裁定。Essayli 本人目前正领导司法部就加州选民名单争议提起的诉讼，本站将沿本线继续跟进其任职资格的上诉进展。
Follow-Up: Federal Judge Rules Los Angeles Top Federal Prosecutor Bill Essayli Is Serving Unlawfully, Bars Him From Two Cases Pending Appeal
A U.S. federal judge ruled on Tuesday, October 27, that Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor for the Central District of California, is unlawfully serving as a de facto United States Attorney in violation of federal vacancy laws, barring him from two criminal cases while staying the order pending appeal, Reuters reported.
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright, sitting in Honolulu, wrote: "In sum, Essayli is unlawfully serving as a 'de facto' United States Attorney." The order bars Essayli from participating in or supervising the prosecutions of Jaime Hector Ramirez, charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and Tu Anh Tran, charged with possessing property stolen from interstate or foreign shipment. Seabright declined to dismiss the indictments in either case, finding the defendants had not shown the substantial prejudice required for that relief.
Essayli became interim U.S. attorney in April 2025 for the Central District, which covers Los Angeles and six other counties and about 20 million people. U.S. attorneys are normally nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and interim service is limited to 120 days. As that limit ran out, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi named Essayli a special attorney and designated him first assistant U.S. attorney, leaving him in charge of the office; he was never formally nominated or confirmed.
Seabright had ruled in October 2025 that Essayli was not lawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney but allowed him to supervise cases under his other titles. He said an August ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the Nevada case of Sigal Chattah, which rejected a similar arrangement, changed the legal landscape. Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a revised designation on September 23 narrowing Essayli's authority, but Seabright concluded the revised arrangement still gave him authority broad enough to effectively occupy the vacant U.S. attorney post.
Essayli said in a statement: "We respectfully disagree with the court's order. The President and the Attorney General have every right to select supervisors within the Justice Department. Importantly, today's order is automatically stayed so the government can seek a full stay and maintain the status quo pending our appeal." He said the question will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court and that he looks forward to serving in his current role until then. Defense attorney H. Dean Steward, who challenged Essayli's authority, called the ruling a victory for the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.
The administration has faced a series of legal battles over U.S. attorneys installed without Senate confirmation. The 2nd Circuit in August found a prosecutor in upstate New York was unlawfully serving, and the administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn the 9th Circuit's Nevada ruling and the 2nd Circuit's order.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：加州中区首席联邦检察官 Bill Essayli 官方肖像（2024年，加州州议会官方照片，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons），人像完整、彩色。 / Photo: Official portrait of Bill Essayli, 2024, California State Assembly, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
