Judge rips DOJ for causing "embarrassment" for the government as it dismisses another D.C. felony case [View all]

Source: CBS News

September 4, 2025 / 4:15 PM EDT


A federal judge excoriated the Justice Department over its handling of criminal cases during the Trump administration's ongoing federal takeover of Washington, D.C., saying at a hearing Thursday that the department has brought "embarrassment and shame" on the government during its "rush" to charge individuals.

U.S. District Judge Zia Faruqui apologized to Edward Dana, a man who was charged for what the Justice Department and U.S. Secret Service said was a threat to kill President Trump last month. Dana spent a week in jail, only to have the charges against him dropped Thursday. Faruqui said the U.S. is "past the point of constitutional crisis," as the Trump administration "is playing cops and robbers, like children" during the federal takeover of Washington's police department.

The judge also criticized the Justice Department over the D.C. U.S. attorney's multiple failed indictments in recent weeks, saying he had a "grave concern" that in a "rush to get stats on Twitter or Truth Social" touting the takeover, the Justice Department has not given time to those who have been "illegally detained."

Faruqui said there have been "too many misfires" by the Justice Department in attempting to prosecute people in D.C., and that the federal government is operating under the concept of "we'll arrest people… then see what happens." Dana did not comment on the dismissal of charges when asked by CBS News for a reaction after the hearing.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-rips-doj-dismisses-another-d-c-case/