, ,

Trump Judge Backstabs Him

Judge Aileen Cannon of the U.S. District Court has predominantly aligned with special counsel Jack Smith’s efforts to restrict the distribution of classified evidence to former President Trump’s legal team in the ongoing trial concerning mishandled documents. Under the Classified Information Procedures Act, which permits the alteration or summarization of classified evidence before sharing it with the defense, Cannon consented to the majority of the Justice Department’s requests for such modifications. However, she deferred her final decision on certain documents pivotal to the Mar-a-Lago case.

Cannon’s ruling specified that no classified data, unless previously approved for release by the Special Counsel, should be circulated due to her unclassified order. It permits the prosecution to partially redact certain after-action reports and present summaries of documents linked to potential government witnesses, while Smith is allowed to withhold documents deemed irrelevant or unnecessary to Trump’s defense.

Nevertheless, Cannon noted the need for further hearings to decide on the withholding of two sensitive intelligence reports and some after-action reports, all integral to the charges against Trump.

This judgment emerges as part of the larger examination of Cannon’s conduct of the case, especially following a recent directive to draft jury instructions incorporating a defense by Trump, asserting his right to the disputed documents under the Presidential Records Act. This defense has been broadly dismissed by legal analysts, who assert that classified materials cannot be treated as personal property.

Additionally, Cannon has not yet resolved several of Trump’s motions to dismiss the case nor scheduled a new trial date, considering the suggestions to postpone the originally planned May trial. Trump’s preference is for a post-election trial, whereas Smith has proposed a July date.


Latest News »