A key ruling in the big "Census question" case came down late on Tuesday regarding the DOJ's attempt to swap out all the attorneys assigned to the case.
The plaintiffs attempted to block that last minute change. Well, it looked like it worked.
Cue the angry tweets in 3...2...1...
The federal judge overseeing the case in New York, Judge Furman, denied the switch in a blistering ruling, describing the request as “patently deficient.”
Further, he stated, “Defendants provide no reasons, let alone ‘satisfactory reasons,’ for the substitution of counsel."
Judge Furman did state that the DOJ could refile if they provided the court with “satisfactory reasons” for requesting court approval for the switch in attorneys. Furthermore, the judge asked the DOJ to “file an affidavit providing unequivocal assurances that the substitution of counsel will not delay further litigation of this case (or any future related case).”
In laymen's terms that means the Judge may consider new attorneys, but not if it means the DOJ will in return ask for a delay in the case.
Just a reminder, just last month the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from adding the question, calling the reason the DOJ provided as the basis for the change to the census "contrived."
Here is the full document:
