A US lawyer says a New York judge’s query in the Adani-related criminal case is procedural and is unlikely to derail the US Department of Justice’s (DoJ) effort to drop charges. The lawyer explains that decisions to withdraw or dismiss criminal charges are constitutionally tied to the executive branch, and that courts generally have limited ability to force prosecutors to continue a case once the executive branch decides to withdraw it. The sources describe the judge’s involvement as focused on procedural aspects rather than on the underlying decision to seek dismissal. They also note that courts historically grant substantial deference to prosecutors’ charging and dismissal decisions. Overall, the reporting frames the judge’s question as part of the court process around the DoJ motion, without indicating a change in the DoJ’s stance to dismiss the charges.