Indictment dismissed against LGBTQ rights attorney related to 'judge shopping' inquiry
Source: Reuters
Indictment dismissed against LGBTQ rights attorney related to 'judge shopping' inquiry
By Nate Raymond
June 9, 2026 11:14 AM EDT Updated 1 hour ago
People participate in the LGBTQ Pride Parade in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 4, 2023. REUTERS/Martin Cossarini/File
June 9 (Reuters) - A federal indictment has been dismissed that charged an LGBTQ rights attorney with lying during an inquiry into whether he and others engaged in "judge shopping" to challenge Alabama's ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth.
Carl Charles, an attorney at Lambda Legal, was charged in an indictment unsealed in September in federal court in Montgomery, Alabama, months after a judge took the rare step of sanctioning him and referring him for a criminal investigation. ... But according to a court filing last week, opens new tab by one of his defense lawyers, the indictment was dismissed pursuant to a sealed court order. The docket says the case was terminated on February 11.
It is unclear why the indictment was dismissed in the case, which had been scheduled for a May trial. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Alabama said it was "unable to comment on the nature or terms of the resolution" because the court's order was sealed.
William Espy, a lawyer for Charles at Melton, Espy & Williams, did not respond to requests for comment. ... Lambda Legal did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. It previously called the indictment "an outrageous act of governmental overreach."
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/indictment-dismissed-against-lgbtq-rights-attorney-related-judge-shopping-2026-06-09/
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Nate Raymond
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New: An indictment has been dismissed that charged an LGBTQ rights attorney with lying during an inquiry into whether he and others engaged in "judge shopping" to challenge Alabama's ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. The dismissal is sealed.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/indictment-dismissed-against-lgbtq-rights-attorney-related-judge-shopping-2026-06-09/
Indictment dismissed against LGBTQ rights attorney related to 'judge shopping' inquiry
A federal indictment has been dismissed that charged an LGBTQ rights attorney with lying during an inquiry into whether he and others engaged in "judge shopping" to challenge Alabama's ban on gender-a...
www.reuters.com
11:28 AM · Jun 9, 2026
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New: An indictment has been dismissed that charged an LGBTQ rights attorney with lying during an inquiry into whether he and others engaged in "judge shopping" to challenge Alabama's ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. The dismissal is sealed. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
— Nate Raymond (@nateraymond.bsky.social) 2026-06-09T15:28:35.967Z
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