Democratic State Attorney Dave Aronberg has criticized U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon for agreeing to delay proceedings in former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case. The postponement follows a request from Trump’s legal team to pause deadlines after a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
Judge Cannon, of the Southern District of Florida, agreed on Saturday to extend certain deadlines, allowing prosecutors more time to respond to Trump’s request. Aronberg, speaking on MSNBC, accused Cannon of “indulging” Trump and intentionally slowing the case. “Delay is her middle name. She will continue to slow walk this case or continue to err on the side of delay and indulge the former president with every request,” Aronberg told host Alex Witt.
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity, highlighted by a concurring opinion from Associate Justice Clarence Thomas questioning the constitutionality of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s appointment, has added complexity to the case. Trump’s attorneys referenced this opinion in their filing, arguing that Smith’s appointment was improper since he was neither nominated by the president nor confirmed by the Senate.
Aronberg noted that if Judge Cannon attempts to dismiss the charges against Trump, the decision would likely be appealed to the 11th Circuit Court and potentially lead to her removal from the case. “If Judge Cannon does try to dismiss charges against Donald Trump, she’ll be immediately appealed to the 11th Circuit, she would probably be reversed and could be eventually removed from the case,” Aronberg explained.
Trump’s legal team had already challenged the constitutionality of Smith’s appointment in June, but Aronberg cautioned that Judge Cannon would need to be very careful before ruling against the special counsel, to avoid contradicting other courts and facing appeals.
The decision to delay the case has stirred debate, with critics arguing it gives Trump undue leniency and further postpones resolution. Aronberg acknowledged that the delay might impact the timeline, but he also suggested the case was unlikely to proceed before the upcoming election regardless of the recent ruling.
As the legal battle continues, the scrutiny of Judge Cannon’s decisions and the broader implications for Trump’s legal and political future remain at the forefront of national attention.
