‘Come On Aileen’: Judge Cannon Gets Pilloried By Legal Analysts and Pundits for Tossing Classified Docs Case

Senate Judiciary Committee via AP

Many legal analysts are flabbergasted dismissal of former President Donald Trump’s criminal case over alleged mishandling of classified documents Monday by Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon .

The judge, a Trump appointee, ruled that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s appointment violated the Constitution, as he was neither named by the president nor confirmed by the Senate.

“Because Special Counsel Smith’s exercise of prosecutorial power has not been authorized by law, the court sees no way forward aside from dismissal of the superseding indictment,” Cannon wrote in her 93-page decision.

As prosecutors are expected to appeal the ruling, which challenges long-standing precedents for the use of special prosecutors as far back as the Watergate-era, the news has set legal commentary alight.

Former Law&Crime managing editor and MSNBC contributor Adam Klasfeld noted that “every federal judge” that has ruled on the issue has “unanimously found that attorneys general can appoint a special counsel” noting that Cannon’s ruling “departs from that tradition.”

MSNBC host Chris Hayes repeated the line. He detailed that Cannon’s job is to “apply controlling preceding” and accused the judge of playing to the “MAGA court.”

Professor at the Georgetown Law Center and regular CNN contributor Steve Vladeck called the ruling “wrong six ways from Sunday.”

NewsNation host, former ABC News chief legal analyst and Mediaite founder Dan Abrams called the case’s dismissal “pretty radical.”

https://x.com/danabrams/status/1812856805657063774

Former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder called for the “incompetent judge” to be “removed.”

MSNBC legal contributor Katie Phang noted Cannon’s “hubris” as “stunning.”

The Bulwark’s managing editor and Morning Joe regular Sam Stein invoked the hit song by pop band Dexy’s Midnight Runners to convey his disbelief at the ruling.