After U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled against special counsel Jack Smith on Monday, experts and hosts on MSNBC voiced their concerns. Some have even called for her to be replaced as the judge in charge of the criminal case against former President Donald Trump.
Cannon questioned Smith on the need to convene a grand jury in the nation’s capital to investigate any crimes related to Trump’s suspected possession of secret material at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Cannon also ruled that two motions filed by Smith should be made public after the judge denied Smith’s attempt to keep them under seal.
MSNBC legal commentator Joyce Vance tweeted after Cannon’s judgment that this might raise questions about her suitability to hear the case. Another MSNBC contributor, Glenn Kirschner, tweeted that this seems like Judge Cannon is taking the side of the defense. He said the appeal court’s previous finding that she misused her power and behaved lawlessly to the extreme advantage of Trump suggests that she has not learned her lesson.
Cannon had a special master analyze the evidence gathered during the August 8th, 2022, attack on Mar-a-Lago. However, the 11th Circuit Court of the United States reversed the verdict on appeal.
Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissman, the presenter of MSNBC’s Prosecuting Donald Trump podcast, claims that the obstruction offenses under investigation could have been pursued in either the Southern or the District of Columbia.
Additionally, claimed behavior took place in a state other than Florida.
Host Katie Phang tweeted that it could be at the point where the DOJ moves for recusal if it turns out that it submitted papers under secrecy and that Judge Cannon just revealed the existence of a grand jury session that should have remained secret.
On Monday afternoon, Vance appeared on the network to continue her attack.
It’s a significant cause for alarm, she said. She worried because the government tried to submit secret evidence as a sealed motion. The court, however, refused the motion to seal the filing and instead directed one of the defendants.
Vance said they would likely have to consider taking action with the 11th Circuit, such as an appeal or petition if Cannon refuses to allow them to present their case, which must be done under seal if it concerns grand jury material.
