Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

mahatmakanejeeves

(59,809 posts)
Sat Jul 20, 2024, 10:06 AM Jul 20

Tossing Trump's case was risky for Judge Cannon -- at least for now

THE TRUMP CASES
Tossing Trump’s case was risky for Judge Cannon — at least for now
Judge Aileen Cannon sidestepped key legal rulings to find that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed to investigate Donald Trump.

{snip pictures}

By Ann E. Marimow
July 20, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. EDT

Judge Aileen M. Cannon’s stunning dismissal this week of the most serious charges faced by Donald Trump put her on shaky legal ground, according to experts, who say she is on track to be reversed on appeal and could even be removed from the case — an extraordinary, but not unheard of step. ... Because of the political calendar, however, any legal repercussions could be short-lived.

Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified national security records and obstruction of government efforts to retrieve the material may not matter if the former president and current Republican nominee is elected in November. If he gets back to the White House, Trump could pressure his Justice Department to close the case. He could also promote Cannon to the very appeals court that will soon examine her decision to toss the case.

Cannon’s finding that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Trump conflicts with numerous past court decisions and the nation’s long history — during both Democratic and Republican administrations — of allowing independent prosecutors to handle high-profile instances of alleged wrongdoing. ... Smith has filed notice of his plans to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which reviews decisions from the Florida district where Cannon, a relatively inexperienced judge appointed by Trump in 2020, sits.

The court has already rebuked her twice for her handling of other aspects of the classified documents case, sending what Yale Law School professor Akhil Amar described as a message that her decisions had been “way out of line.”

{snip}

Share
https://wapo.st/4bLKoIk

By Ann Marimow
Ann Marimow covers the Supreme Court for The Washington Post. She joined The Post in 2005, and has spent a decade writing about legal affairs and the federal judiciary. She previously covered state government and politics in California, New Hampshire and Maryland. Twitter https://twitter.com/amarimow
1 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Tossing Trump's case was risky for Judge Cannon -- at least for now (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Jul 20 OP
A follow up on this information on this topic from Kirshner mitch96 Aug 21 #1
Latest Discussions»Editorials & Other Articles»Tossing Trump's case was ...