Even Trump was surprised to see classified documents case dismissed

Aileen A. Cannon, the U.S. District Judge, dismissed the federal case against Donald Trump concerning the classified documents found in the former president’s Mar-a-Lago residence and even Trump was surprised!

Judge Aileen Cannon dismisses classified documents case against Trump https://t.co/2y4gQ5uJsN

— CNN (@CNN) July 15, 2024

Judge Cannon did not rule on whether Trump’s alleged improper handling of the classified documents was justified or not.

However, she did rule on Monday that Jack Smith’s appointment as special counsel in the case was illegal, leading to the immediate dismissal of the federal criminal case against Trump.

The ruling came on the same day as the start of the Republican National Convention, is an important decision in a particularly significant week for Trump in view of his nomination and given the assassination attempt he was the target of last weekend at a rally in Pennsylvania.

In her 93-page decision, Judge Cannon ruled that Smith’s nomination was illegal and violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.

According to Cannon, the indictment was dismissed due to the appointment of Special According to Cannon, the indictment was dismissed due to the appointment of Special Counsel Smith, which violates the Appointments Clauses of the U.S. Constitution. She said confirmation of such an appointment would have to be required and made by the Senate.

Trump’s camp hailed Judge Cannon’s decision as a victory and called for all cases against former President Trump to be dismissed.

Recall that Smith was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022. He was responsible for overseeing federal investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents and attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

After numerous delays provoked by Judge Cannon, she finally acceded to Trump’s lawyers’ argument that Smith’s appointment violated the Constitution, as he is an unconfirmed citizen of the Senate, according to Cannon and the defense.

Whether the charges against the former president will be reissued in this case is impossible to know at this time. This unexpected victory certainly took everyone by surprise.