Judge Aileen Cannon has denied a motion to restrict Donald Trump‘s speech in a classified documents case. The motion was criticized for not adequately consulting with the ex-president’s legal team and was filed by special counsel Jack Smith.
What Happened: Cannon dismissed a motion from Trump’s lawyers to censure prosecutors over the same issue. Smith’s team had filed a motion late Friday, seeking Cannon’s clarification on whether Trump’s false claims violated his existing release conditions. This came after Trump alleged that the law enforcement had the authority to assassinate him, stating that President Biden and the Justice Department were authorized to “take me out” during the document search at Mar-a-Lago, reported The Hill.
Prosecutors, who are required to confer with the opposing party before filing motions, did not do so until 5:30 p.m. ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Cannon criticized the Special Counsel’s ‘conferral’ as lacking in substance and professional courtesy.
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Trump’s legal team had responded to the motion by accusing prosecutors of failing to comply with Cannon’s earlier orders, attaching emails showing squabbling between the two sides. Trump attorney Todd Blanche wrote, “There are rules. You guys violated them.”
Cannon’s order may not be the final word on the issue. She has directed both parties to more directly lay out details on their conferences, avoiding “editorialized footnotes.” She also stated that the parties must include “no more than 200 words verbatim from the opposing side” describing that process. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in sanctions.
Why It Matters: The criminal trial of Trump regarding classified documents, originally set for May 20, has been postponed indefinitely by Judge Cannon due to unresolved pre-trial issues, including the handling of classified information. The delay has drawn scrutiny, as Cannon was appointed by Trump, and it comes amid a highly charged political climate with concerns about the potential impact of a second Trump term on democracy.
The situation escalated when more classified documents were reportedly recovered from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bedroom in May, leading Judge Beryl Howell to express disbelief and stating, “No excuse is provided.”
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
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