The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified-documents trial has faced renewed calls to recuse herself from the case after she reprimanded Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team for a word count on their legal filings.

Judge Aileen Cannon was appointed to the bench in 2018 by the former president. She has been criticized by legal experts for her response to federal prosecutors urging her not to be “manipulated” by Trump into delaying the federal trial, which is set to begin in May 2024. The frontrunner in the GOP presidential primary has pleaded not guilty to 40 charges in connection to the classified documents case and has repeatedly called the trial a political witch hunt.

Legal experts have told Newsweek that they doubt Cannon will be removed or recuse herself from the trial this far into the proceedings.

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    121 year ago

    I didn’t realize a prosecutor could just get the judge changed by asking. Apparently in the US when you get a lifelong position you’re assumed to be squeeky clean and will rule without prejudice. Mean yes if it’s obvious but we see how well Cannon has been working for Trump.

    Delay? Oh why not, let’s make it four, four what? Just fill in the time period defense attorney and we’ll resume then. Objection? Let’s hold today’s proceedings in case I missed a reason why I can dismiss the case. She’s just skirting her duties to make sure it doesn’t look worse than it can to try and keep her job. Yes that’s a hyperbole but she may as well just tell the defense what she needs to hear to rule in her favour.

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      21 year ago

      All Smith has to do is go to a superior court and make a case for bias. Then she’ll be removed and another judge will be assigned. He doesn’t, for what reason I do not know. But, I trust him to bring it home.