In a move that avoids immediate confrontation with the Trump administration, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island declined Tuesday to name an interim U.S. Attorney, leaving the top federal prosecutor’s post in limbo as Charles “Chas” Calenda’s temporary term officially ends.

In General Order 2026-02, issued today under 28 U.S.C. § 546(d), Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. wrote that the court had weighed its authority to step in after the executive and legislative branches failed to produce a Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney. The statute allows a district court to appoint an interim prosecutor once a 120-day appointment expires, but the court concluded it would not exercise that power at this time.

“The Court has carefully considered its power to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney under these factors and concluded that, to continue the uninterrupted and orderly operation of the federal criminal justice system in Rhode Island, and to ensure the non-political professional operation of the U.S. Attorney’s office, at this time it will not exercise its option to make such an appointment,” the order states. The court left open the possibility of revisiting the issue later.Calenda, a former Republican candidate for state attorney general, was named interim U.S. Attorney by then-Attorney General Pamela Bondi on Dec. 23, 2025, and sworn in Dec. 30. His 120-day term ended Tuesday.

Legal observers and recent reporting had anticipated the court might step in, especially after the district court solicited applications for the role in early April. But the decision not to appoint anyone appears designed to preserve stability and sidestep the kind of swift backlash seen in other districts where Trump allies have moved quickly to oust court-appointed prosecutors.

Compounding the uncertainty are persistent rumors that the Trump administration plans to keep Calenda in effective control of the office by installing him as first assistant U.S. attorney for Rhode Island. Under Department of Justice protocols, the first assistant typically assumes day-to-day leadership of the office during a vacancy, effectively allowing Calenda to continue running federal prosecutions and civil litigation in the state without Senate confirmation or a formal interim appointment.

Calenda himself appointed Dulce Donovan to the first assistant role shortly after taking office, but sources familiar with the situation say the administration could reassign or remove Donovan to clear the path for Calenda’s return to a leadership position. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on personnel matters Tuesday, saying only that the office had “no personnel changes to announce at this time.”

The unusual situation stems from broader tensions between the White House and Senate Democrats over filling U.S. Attorney posts. Rhode Island’s Democratic senators have been vocal critics of Calenda’s initial appointment, with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse among those who publicly opposed it.

For now, the federal courthouse in Providence remains without a confirmed or court-appointed U.S. Attorney. Whether the administration follows through on the rumored first-assistant maneuver — or nominates a permanent replacement for Senate consideration — will determine the next chapter in what has already become one of the more contentious U.S. Attorney transitions in recent Rhode Island history.

The court’s order is available on the District of Rhode Island website, here.