TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump has moved to keep his former defense attorney Alina Habba on the job as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, even though a panel of judges refused to extend her tenure.

In rare instances when judges have selected prosecutors, judges have typically appointed the same temporary U.S. attorney picked by the president, allowing for consistency and minimal disruption. Indeed, New Jersey district court judges in 2018 kept on Trump’s interim appointee, Republican Craig Carpenito.

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Alina Habba, said on Thursday that she would seek to remain as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey despite a judicial decision this week not to extend her appointment.