[V_TWIN]

“This case is over on the 2nd/3rd of June.”

Hope so. What makes you say that?

[SmokingJoe]

The judge is simply being asked to explain why he refused to grant the prosecution's motion to dismiss. Why does he need another lawyer to explain his own ruling for him? The outside lawyer didn't make the ruling. Sullivan did.

From the article:

It’s about the judge’s ruling. In this case, the appellate court is asking the judge to explain his ruling, meaning that it’s still not about Sullivan qua Sullivan. Instead, the court wants to understand Sullivan’s thought processes to see if there’s anything there that could justify his decision-making.

When Sullivan armed himself with a lawyer, he effectively announced to the world that this isn’t just about whether the court will reverse his decision-making or remove him from the case. Instead, Sullivan is worried that the appellate court will look at his conduct, rather than his legal reasoning.