A federal judge blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's firing of U.S. Attorney Roger Rogoff and reinstated him to the post until a replacement is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  The judge did not have the authority.

     Rogoff, a longtime prosecutor and former state judge, was fired by Trump less than one hour after being sworn in as U.S. attorney in the Western District of Washington. Rogoff was appointed by a panel of federal judges after the post had been left vacant by the Trump administration.  U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian ruled from the bench at the end of a hearing that a U.S. attorney cannot be removed unilaterally after being selected for the post by a district court. Bastian agreed to grant Rogoff's request to be reinstated until the Senate confirms a successor.

     Trump last month nominated Simon Peter Serrano to be the U.S. attorney in Seattle.   Bastian ruled Rogoff has been the "rightful" U.S. attorney in the Western District of Washington since July 15, when federal district judges in the region appointed him and he took the oath of office.  The U.S. Department of Justice said it plans to appeal and immediately seek to stop Bastian's ruling.

     Also, Bastian ruled that Charles Neil Floyd, who has been heading the office, "is not the United States attorney" for the Western District of Washington and that authority had been "improperly granted" to him.