Not so fast: Ex-prosecutor claims Supreme Court ruling doesn't let Trump off hook

The U.S. Supreme Court put a pause on rehiring federal probationary workers in a ruling on Tuesday — but legal experts don't see the decision as being straightforward,.

"I obviously disagree with the Roberts Court decision that the groups in the probationary employees case don’t 'presently' have standing," said lawyer Norm Eisen, who has been representing many unions and federal workers facing termination. "But the door isn’t closed—& we’ll be back in trial court tomorrow with other groups developing more grounds for relief. We will keep going!"

The court overruled a lower judge's order that the Trump administration must rehire 16,000 workers it had laid off.

Taking to Blue Sky, former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance noted that the case the court ruled on came from a San Francisco judge.

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But she added, "There is another case where a judge ordered probationary workers’ jobs restored by 2 p.m. Eastern today."

"Judge [James] Bredar previously entered a nationwide [temporary restraining order], but his current order applies only in the 19 states that sued (sorry red state federal employees, you're out of luck)," Vance continued. "SCOTUS' stay in the other case was because organizational plaintiffs lacked standing. This case was brought by the named states. Absent further intervention by a court, this order still goes into effect in under two hours (unless I've missed something, which is likely in all the hullabaloo, so please correct me if I'm wrong)."

She then told MSNBC that the other case, which is out of Maryland, was brought by 20 attorneys general.

"The Supreme Court standing decision doesn't appear to impact this case at all," she said. "What's different here is this applies only to the 19 states [and D.C.] that sued, forcing the government to rehire probationary employees in those states."

In the other case, paused by the Supreme Court, the suit was brought by nine employee unions and organizations.

"Standing is the legal doctrine that says that you have to have been sufficiently damaged and the court has to be able to enter an order that will repair your damage in order for you to be someone who's entitled to bring a lawsuit," explained Vance.

She noted that "because there are doubts," the High Court paused the order from the lower court judge that would have forced the employees to be rehired while the case moves through the lower courts.

Vance and host Ana Cabrera discussed that the number of employees being thrown into unemployment by the purge makes it "personal" to many employees and their families involved.

"And what happens as a result of this order is that while those legal issues are being determined in court, which can take some time, these people won't be at work in their jobs. They'll have to find new work. Perhaps they'll hope that they can return to government someday, but the courts will now, at the pace that we're used to courts moving, which is maybe a little bit faster than glacial, they'll work through the standing issue and other issues with these employees out of a job," Vance closed.

When he came into office, President Donald Trump created the "Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)" by executive order. That initiative has been behind the upheaval and dismantling of government agencies. Websites, grants, programs, and employees have been cut or frozen under the promise that Trump will save taxpayers trillions.

See the clip of Vance below or at the link here.

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