Sigal Chattah cannot continue serving as Nevada’s interim federal prosecutor under a ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Associated Press reported. The court concluded that her appointment to lead federal prosecutions was unlawful and upheld a lower-court decision that disqualified her from cases.
Chattah had been appointed temporarily for 120 days. The dispute centered on whether the appointment complied with the governing law and whether a temporary designation could keep her in charge of the U.S. Attorney’s Office after the stated period. The appeals ruling addresses the authority of the officeholder, not the guilt or innocence of people in individual cases.
The decision came as the Justice Department was managing a transition in Nevada. The AP reported that George Kelesis was selected as a replacement, although the selection still required Senate action. The change creates a separate confirmation question from the court’s ruling on Chattah’s temporary appointment.
The Daily Beast reported that the department disagreed with the ruling and planned an appeal. That position means the legal dispute may continue, but the reported appellate judgment remains the current ruling described by the sources. Any later stay, rehearing or Supreme Court action would need separate confirmation.
News reports about disqualification can easily be read as findings against every prosecution handled during an official’s tenure. The published accounts do not establish that result. They describe a challenge to the appointment and the court’s conclusion that Chattah could not serve in the role under the circumstances presented.
