Judge Aileen Cannon grilled attorneys in Florida on Friday about how much independence special counsel Jack Smith had over the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.
Cannon’s questions came as part of hearing on a request Trump made in February that the case be dismissed on the grounds that Attorney General Merrick Garland allegedly unlawfully appointed Smith as special counsel.
The hearing was dense and involved Cannon, a Trump appointee, entertaining weedy legal theories about the constitutional provisions and statutes that govern special counsel appointments, according to reports from the courtroom.
The judge did not rule from the bench on Trump’s motion to dismiss his charges, and she has set aside three more days of hearings next week to continue the discussion, as well as address other pending legal disputes in the case.
In court documents ahead…
