The three-judge panel vacated the district court's December 8, 2025 order and directed the lower court to end its criminal contempt proceedings entirely. The court also ordered that an administrative stay entered on December 12, 2025, be dissolved in 21 days when the order becomes effective.
Circuit Judge Rao wrote an opinion for the court, with Circuit Judge Walker filing a concurring opinion and Circuit Judge Childs dissenting.
The case arose from contempt proceedings initiated by the district court, though the specific underlying conduct that prompted the contempt charges is not detailed in the order. The government had opposed Trump's mandamus petition and requested reassignment of the contempt proceedings to a different judge.
The court's order renders moot both Trump's emergency motion for a stay and the government's request for judicial reassignment. The decision represents a rare grant of mandamus relief in criminal contempt proceedings.
The case is docketed as No. 25-5452 in the D.C. Circuit and stems from district court case 1:25-cv-00766-JEB.