tJudge William Alsup of the Northern District Federal Court in California ruled on the 12th that the previous directive from the Office of Personnel Management to federal agencies to mass lay off probationary employees was illegal. The ruling stated that the Office of Personnel Management does not have the authority to instruct other agencies to dismiss probationary employees, and that both the directive and the dismissals based on it violate the Administrative Procedure Act. A preliminary injunction issued by the judge in this case was confirmed as a permanent injunction. If the defendant disagrees with the ruling, they may appeal.