In a scathing hearing on Monday, District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi asked a federal prosecutor to leave the courtroom while grilling another about the internal workings of New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s office. The exchange highlighted growing concerns from the federal judiciary about the legal validity of actions taken by some of the Trump administration’s top prosecutors.A number of these attorneys – including those in New Jersey – have been installed via workarounds that bypassed the Senate confirmations typically required for such roles. Those actions have fueled speculation that the cases they’ve pursued could lack sufficient legal authority to proceed. During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Quraishi, a Biden appointee, raised questions about the unusual leadership structure that’s been imposed on New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s office and chastised a federal prosecutor for defying his orders. In both instances, he bristled at an apparent willingness to circumvent the rules. Although Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Coyne attended the hearing to support another prosecutor from the New Jersey office, he did not file a formal notice of appearance. As a result, the judge ordered Coyne to refrain from speaking to the court and to communicate with his colleague via written notes and whispers.When Coyne interjected to respond to a question about former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, Quraishi issued a warning. “You didn’t file a notice of appearance. You don’t get to blindside the court and do whatever it is you guys want to do,” Quraishi said, according to court documents. “So if you continue to speak, you can leave.”President Donald Trump shakes hands with former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba. Habba's service for part of the role was later deemed unlawful.The Washington Post via Getty ImagesWhen Coyne continued speaking, Quraishi called for security to remove him and asked him to leave voluntarily. Coyne said he would go. However, according to a source familiar with the matter, Coyne was then allowed to remain at the counsel table. Per the transcript, he did not speak for the remainder of the hearing. Quraishi also demanded that the three attorneys leading New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s office testify in court to explain their current operations and how they derive their legal authority. Last week, District Judge Matthew Brann determined that the trio – Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio – were serving illegally. They were named to lead the office last year after Brann concluded that Habba was working unlawfully in her role. In his latest decision, Brann stayed the ruling on the triumvirate pending an appeal.Throughout the president’s second term, the Trump administration has attempted to keep U.S. Attorneys in power even if they haven’t received Senate confirmation. Splitting the duties of the U.S. Attorney among three people was just its latest maneuver. However, those efforts have prompted scrutiny regarding whether the prosecutors’ actions can eventually be voided.Quraishi said Monday that he wouldn’t proceed with the sentencing hearing until his queries about the office’s leadership were resolved. “They’re going to answer my questions about who is running the office and how,” Quraishi said of the anticipated testimony. “Generations of Assistant U.S. Attorneys had built the goodwill of that office for your generation to destroy it within a year,” Quraishi also said to a federal prosecutor at the hearing.In response to Monday’s events, Habba took aim at so-called “activist judges.”“For nearly a year, this Department of Justice has sought to empower federal prosecutors in New Jersey who will aggressively enforce our nation’s laws and keep people safe,” a Justice Department spokesperson told HuffPost. “Unfortunately some judges are more interested in courtroom theatrics and constitutional overreach than promoting public safety.”