New York Attorney General Letitia James appeared in a Virginia federal courtroom on bank fraud charges and shouted defiance to reporters afterward, insisting the case is about a broader fight over a politicized justice system rather than her own legal peril.
The hearing lasted just 35 minutes before U.S. District Judge Jamar Walker set a trial date for Jan. 26, and James returned to the courthouse steps flanked by supporters to proclaim her innocence in loud, unmistakable terms. She pleaded not guilty and used the moment to cast herself as the target of a politically driven prosecution. Her remarks were designed to rally her base and reframe the story as an attack on progressive enforcement rather than a legal matter to be decided in open court.
Out on the steps she led a chant and drew on religious language to make her point, including the exact line ‘I believe that justice will rain down like water! And righteousness like a mighty stream!’ that echoed through the gathered crowd. She followed that with the chant “No fear!” and supporters joined in as she argued the case against her serves larger political ends. The presence of cameras and a few dozen allies gave the scene the feel of a staged moment meant to keep attention on her narrative.
She told the crowd, “This is not about me! This is about all of us!” and accused the system of being weaponized, a line that plays well to those who already distrust federal prosecutors. Yet critics point out the irony: James herself led aggressive legal efforts against political opponents, most notably the civil case against former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization. That earlier litigation ended badly for her team when a judge criticized damage estimates and parts of the case were dismissed, leaving her critics to say accountability should apply both ways.
The charges allege James misclassified property to gain tax and lending advantages, serious claims that demand a plain reading of the evidence rather than pageantry. The courtroom episode was short, but the legal road ahead is long, and Jan. 26 now stands as the date when facts, not slogans, must carry the day. For observers who want equal treatment under the law, the focus should be on discovery, documents, and testimony, not on who shouts the loudest outside the courthouse.
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President Donald Trump, who has long sparred with James, upped the rhetoric months earlier with a social media post saying, “Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY,” and his allies have used that language to frame the indictment as long overdue. Supporters of the president see her own legal trouble as validation of their warnings about selective prosecutions and politicized enforcement. Opponents say the charges are substantive and must be litigated on their merits, while neither camp benefits from skipping the due process that a federal trial provides.
James’ public posture ties into a broader story about how investigations and prosecutions get spun outside courtrooms, especially when high-profile figures are involved. The spectacle on the courthouse steps was a reminder that modern legal fights are fought as much in headlines and feeds as they are in filings and depositions. Still, the judge’s short hearing and the date he set mean the federal system will move at its own pace, regardless of public theater.
Walker was appointed by former President Joe Biden, a fact that will be noted by both sides as the case unfolds and as critics try to attach partisan meaning to judicial oversight. What matters legally is the record the parties build between now and trial: documents, witness statements, and rulings on admissibility will shape what a jury, if the case reaches one, ultimately hears. Until then, expect more public declarations and courtroom formality as both the prosecution and the defense prepare for what could be a consequential winter trial.
‘I believe that justice will rain down like water! And righteousness like a mighty stream!’
She led a chant of “No fear!” with a handful of supporters who her speech.
