Judge Cannon Faces Backlash for Unorthodox Moves in Trump Case, Raising Legal Concerns

Judge Aileen Cannon’s recent decisions in Donald Trump’s criminal case have sparked criticism for defying established rules on court jurisdiction, former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance said on Sunday. The case revolves around Trump’s handling of classified documents and is currently under appeal after Judge Cannon dismissed it.

Despite the case being officially closed, Cannon has continued to issue orders, including one aiming to block Special Counsel Jack Smith from releasing his report on an unrelated case against Trump. “In its order last week, the Eleventh Circuit invited the government to take an emergency appeal of Judge Cannon’s order denying the government permission to release the report,” Vance explained.

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“They’ve done that now, but it’s messy, with Judge Cannon, in the meantime, demanding that DOJ account for a claim by Trump’s former co-defendants that there is some crossover information in Volume One of the report that involves them. DOJ responded Sunday morning and said that’s not the case.”

The situation has drawn scrutiny, particularly because jurisdiction rules suggest Judge Cannon should no longer have authority over the case. “The strangest thing about this entire proceeding is that Judge Cannon continues to issue orders when there is no case pending in front of her,” Vance wrote. “That’s not how a court’s jurisdiction is supposed to work.

You don’t have to take my word for it—the PACER docket shows the case as closed.” Adding to the complexity, Vance highlighted the unusual activity on the court docket. “Here we are with new filings, including a sealed entry from the court (which means we don’t have any idea what’s in it) early Sunday evening,” she noted.

While the sealed entry could be related to system maintenance, Vance expressed concern that it might indicate a substantive order. “This could be a blip because the system is undergoing maintenance tonight or it could be a substantive order of some kind,” she speculated in her Substack post over the weekend.

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The developments underscore the broader legal uncertainties surrounding Trump’s case and Judge Cannon’s actions, raising questions about the boundaries of judicial authority and the impact on ongoing investigations.