10
Loading video...
By Maura Zurick
Weekend Night Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump in Florida has rejected a motion to dismiss multiple charges in the indictment.
The Context
Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is presiding over the case in which Special Prosecutor Jack Smith accuses the former president of illegally retaining classified documents, hoarding them at his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Palm Beach, Florida. Smith also charged Trump, the presumptive Republican candidate in the November presidential election, and his allies with obstructing attempts by federal officials to retrieve the highly sensitive documents.
Read More on U.S.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied any wrongdoing in the case.
What We Know
Cannon's order on Monday comes after the former president's defense team had aimed to eliminate more than six of the 41 counts, filing a motion to have the judge dismiss those related to obstruction and making false statements, according to court documents.
The judge issued an order in response to the defense's request, saying that "the identified deficiencies, even if generating some arguable confusion, are either permitted by law, raise evidentiary challenges not appropriate for disposition at this juncture, and/or do not require dismissal even if technically deficient, so long as the jury is instructed appropriately and presented with adequate verdict forms as to each Defendants' alleged conduct."
While she rejected the defense's effort to throw out several counts, she did grant Trump's team a small victory.
Cannon agreed with the defense that some of the language in the indictment was "legally unnecessary" and said that she would strike one of the paragraphs.
Views
Cannon has faced mounting scrutiny, with legal experts accusing her of delaying the trial and condemning her for not setting a start date nearly one year after Trump was indicted. Amid the criticism, there has also been significant tension between the judge and Smith.
The prosecutor argues that Cannon has unduly sided with the former president on multiple occasions by granting too many of Trump's requests, including her order last month that indefinitely postponed the trial.
Cannon has said she delayed the trial to give time to consider pending pretrial motions.
Trump's allies have hailed Cannon's decisions as losses for Smith.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and outspoken supporter of the former president, praised the judge's decision to postpone the trial.
"MASSIVE WIN FOR DONALD TRUMP," Greene wrote on X at the time. "Judge Cannon just now postponed the DOJ's documents case against Trump indefinitely. JACK SMITH LOSES AGAIN."
...
Newsweek reached out via email on Monday night to Trump's representatives for comment.
What's Next
Cannon scheduled three pretrial hearings for late June but has delayed evidence in the case until at least July while she considers a series of defense motions.
Update 6/10/24, 10:59 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines