NYC Mayor Adams' corruption case hearing ends without decision: What's next?

NEW YORK CITY - Justice Department lawyers and New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced a federal judge who will ultimately make a decision on their request to drop the mayor's corruption charges weeks before a trial in April.

During the 90-minute hearing, Judge Ho made no decision, but pressed DOJ officials to explain why they wanted to drop the case. It's not clear when the judge will reach a decision--the process could take days or even weeks.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has said that she would wait for the judge to make a decision before determining whether to try to remove Adams from office herself.

Judge Ho scheduled the Wednesday hearing after three government lawyers from Washington made the dismissal request on Friday.

Ho, a Biden appointee, already indicated the hearing was likely to be only an initial step when he wrote in an order Tuesday that one subject on the agenda would be a discussion of "procedure for resolution of the motion." Also set for discussion are the reasons for the request to dismiss the indictment against Adams.

Adams' court appearance: Possible scenarios

What we know:

FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses painted a picture of three potential options that Judge Ho has:

• The judge could go along with what the Justice Department wants, which is to dismiss the charges without prejudice – meaning they could be refiled later.
• The judge could dismiss the charges with prejudice – meaning the court case is permanently over and cannot be reopened.
• The judge could rule to let the case proceed, and perhaps appoint a special prosecutor.

"We really don't know what he's going to do," Moses said. "It could be any one of those three."

What they're saying:

Meanwhile, a growing number of former prosecutors have urged the judge to launch an inquiry into the decision, which could put President Donald Trump's DOJ under scrutiny. They have accused Adams' lawyers of offering a "quid pro quo" — providing help on immigration in exchange for dismissing the case.

Featured

article

NYC Mayor Adams' corruption case fallout: How did we get here and what happens next

Here's a look at how we got to this point with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and what comes next.

The other side:

Alex Spiro, attorney for the mayor, wrote to Judge Ho, in part: "We never offered anything to the Department, or anyone else, for the dismissal. And neither the Department, nor anyone else, ever asked anything of us for the dismissal. We told the Department that ending the case would lift a legal and practical burden that impeded Mayor Adams in his official duties."

Why the Justice Department wants the NYC mayor's charges dropped

The backstory:

Early last week, Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove told prosecutors in New York in a memo to drop the charges because the prosecution "has unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime." He said charges could be reinstated after November's mayoral election.

Featured

article

Dale Ho, Emil Bove and more: Who's who in NYC Mayor Adams' corruption case, fallout

From Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, to Dale Ho, district judge for the SDNY, here's a look at who's who in NYC Mayor Adams' corruption case and fallout.

Two days later, then-interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying Bove's request to drop charges in return for assistance in enforcing federal immigration laws would betray Bondi's own words that she "will not tolerate abuses of the criminal justice process, coercive behavior, or other forms of misconduct."

Bove responded to Sassoon with apparent anger, accepting her resignation and accusing her of "pursuing a politically motivated prosecution despite an express instruction to dismiss the case."

Featured

article

NYC Mayor Adams' corruption case fallout: How did we get here and what happens next

Here's a look at how we got to this point with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and what comes next.

Adams pleaded not guilty to charges that, as Brooklyn borough president, he accepted over $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and lavish travel perks from a Turkish official and business leaders seeking to buy his influence.