A federal judge on Monday agreed to throw out the criminal mortgage fraud case against New York Attorney General Letitia James, saying the prosecutor who brought the case was improperly appointed.

Judge Cameron McGowan Currie of the Eastern District of Virginia wrote in an order that Lindsey Halligan, the federal prosecutor who charged James had “no lawful authority to present the indictment.” In October, James was charged with bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution in connection with a property she owns in Virginia. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge’s ruling came after James and her attorneys argued the case should be dismissed because Halligan was not properly appointed.

“I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and

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