Judge Ejects Federal Prosecutor From Court, Orders His Bosses to Testify

[Nevilledog]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/nyregion/judge-quraishi-new-jersey-attorneys-office.html

No paywall link
https://archive.li/FNbPw


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.

*snip*

[bucolic_frolic]

1. She appointed Hear-no-evil, See-no-evil, and Speak-no-evil?

Whatever their names that is odd to have a triumvirate as U.S. Attorney. Sort of like a cosigned credit card.