Trump-nominated federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who is currently handling the ex-president’s criminal case on accusations of mishandling government documents, is facing extensive condemnation after she recently formally punted eventual trial in the case off into the indefinite future.
“This is news but it’s hardly unexpected,” said ex-federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance online. “Judge Cannon seems desperate to avoid trying this case. This isn’t justice. defendants aren’t the only ones with speedy trial act rights, we the people have them too.”
Anthony Coley, a former official in the federal Justice Department, spoke similarly, drawing attention to forthcoming opportunities for citizen action like this year’s presidential election.
“Miscarriage of justice,” Coley said on X (Twitter). “Aileen Cannon is a MAGA activist in a black robe giving Trump what he wants: an indefinite delay to escape accountability for illegally removing and retaining some of the Nation’s classified secrets. The courts will not save us, folks. It’s on us.”
And per a third source, Cannon currently has broad discretion to move forward like this. “Realistically there is nothing Jack Smith can do to move the Mar-a-Lago case forward to trial before the election. Judges have extremely broad discretion over their trial calendar, which is what gives Judge Cannon the ability to avoid setting a trial date at this time,” said ex-federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti.
Earlier outrage around Cannon involved her keeping alive — specifically in the context of discussions about jury instructions — an idea that the piece of federal law known as the Presidential Records Act (PRA) could provide Trump with a legal lifeline here.
“The PRA’s distinction between personal and presidential records has no bearing on whether a former President’s possession of documents containing national defense information is authorized under the Espionage Act, and the PRA should play no role in the jury instructions on the elements of Section 793,” prosecutors said earlier in court.
