A federal judge has dismissed the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) with prejudice, ensuring that the charges cannot be refiled against him. 

The ruling itself dropping the charges comes after the Trump administration’s Justice Department (DOJ) requested that the case be dismissed against the embattled mayor, who was facing a range of charges alleging corruption. 

The ruling is notable in that the DOJ had requested the charges be dropped without prejudice, which would have allowed them to be possibly refiled at a later date.

Critics and legal experts expressed concern that the move could cause Adams to be under the Trump administration’s thumb to avoid the charges being refiled.

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