A judge dismissed a suit against Mohammed bin Salman in connection to Jamal Khashoggi's death.
The decision came just weeks after the Biden administration contended that the Saudi ruler, often referred to as "MBS," should be granted immunity.
"Accordingly, the claims against bin Salman will be dismissed based on head-of-state-immunity," Bates added.
A declassified intelligence report released by the Biden administration last year explicitly implicated MBS in Khashoggi's killing.
On the campaign trail, Biden pledged to make the oil-rich kingdom a "pariah" over Khashoggi's murder.