A federal judge overseeing the criminal case that accuses Donald Trump of mishandling classified documents has signaled an openness to the former U.S. president’s defense claims, in a sign that prosecutors might face a difficult road ahead.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, has asked Trump and prosecutors to propose jury instructions based on two legal scenarios that favor a claim from Trump that national security lawyers said have little relevance to the charges.
Trump and Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the case, face a Tuesday deadline to respond to the judge’s order.
The dispute is another instance of Cannon lending credence to Trump’s legal arguments about highly sensitive records taken to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida when he left the White House in 2021.
Yes. The “jury instructions” she’s floating are actually the opposite of what the law states. This will be her third strike.
Personally, I think she wants to get removed from the case at a late enough point that another judge can’t get up to speed in time for the trial to start before the election.
That makes sense. Thanks.
Only makes sense if there are actual consequences for her doing this. Like getting disbarred, not just overturned on appeal