Circuit Judge Rao wrote the opinion for the court, issued April 15, 2026. Circuit Judge Walker filed a concurrence, and Circuit Judge Childs dissented.
The panel vacated the district court's December 8, 2025 order and directed the lower court to end its criminal contempt proceedings entirely. The court ordered that an administrative stay entered on December 12, 2025, be dissolved in 21 days when the order becomes effective.
The case arose from contempt proceedings initiated by the district court in the underlying case, 1:25-cv-00766-JEB. The specific 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 both Trump's emergency motion for a stay and the government's reassignment request moot.