Federal judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the national mask mandate for transportation including airplanes and trains on Monday.

Mizelle, appointed by former President Donald Trump, ruled that the mandate exceeded the authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Her lengthy 59-page ruling also said the CDC failed to justify the mandate.

In her ruling, Mizelle said the only remedy is to void the mandate as it would be impossible to end it for only those who objected by filing the lawsuit, according to the Associated Press.

Mizelle currently serves as a judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She was appointed to the position by Trump in August 2020 and was confirmed by the Senate three months later, with 49 Republicans voting in her support and 41 Democrats voting against her.

Kathryn Kimball Mizelle strikes down mask mandate
Federal judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the national mask mandate for transportation Monday. Above, people are seen wearing face masks on a train in Washington D.C. on April 14.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Prior to her nomination to the court, she worked as an attorney at Jones Day and served at the Department of Justice as Counsel to the Associate Attorney General, a trial attorney in the Tax Division and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Her nomination drew criticism from some in the legal community. The American Bar Association wrote in a letter to Senators Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein that they determined she was “not qualified” for the position.

In the letter, the ABA wrote that she had only been admitted to practice law eight years earlier — a “departure” from the 12-year minimum — and that she had not tied a case as lead or co-counsel, though they praised her as having a “very keen intellect, a strong work ethic and an impressive resume.”

This is a breaking news story that will be updated when more information becomes available.