- Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, was initially chosen to oversee the Republican businessman's indictment case
- The federal indictment against the former president was unsealed on Friday
- Trump was found to be facing 31 counts about his handling of sensitive materials taken from the White House
Trump appointee Judge Aileen Cannon was initially selected to oversee the former United States president's classified documents indictment case.
The situation comes after the federal indictment against the Republican businessman was unsealed on Friday. It showed that former United States President Donald Trump faces 31 counts for handling sensitive materials taken from the White House into his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate.
Judge Aileen Cannon Initially Chosen to Oversee Trump Case
The filing marks the first time in the history of the United States that a former president has come face-to-face with criminal charges. In a statement, Special counsel Jack Smith, overseeing the investigations into the matter, said that his office would seek a "speedy trial" of Trump. He also urged Americans to read the full indictment to understand the "gravity" of the crimes that the former president has been charged with, as per CNN.
The indictment against the former president details the various locations that Trump allegedly used to hide the classified documents. These include a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room.
Cannon, a federal district judge, was found to have been initially selected to oversee the latest federal case against Trump, said two sources familiar with the matter. Last year, she emerged in the public spotlight when she oversaw court proceedings related to the FBI's raid of the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate.
The judge made several surprising actions in handling the case about a so-called special master. This would have been responsible for reviewing the documents that the FBI recovered from the former president's Florida estate. The decision prompted concerns from legal experts on the right.
Federal Indictment Against Donald Trump
During Trump's Tuesday appearance with the summons order, Cannon's name appeared alongside Judge Bruce Reinhart. The latter is known to have approved the warrant to allow the FBI to raid the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate, according to The Hill.
The situation comes after a higher court twice overturned Cannon, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The latter greenlit the Department of Justice's use of the classified documents and ordered the disbandment of the special master process that Cannon ordered.
An attorney who helped draft a model prosecution memo in the case, Joyce Vance, warned about needing to catch up about Cannon's inclusion. She noted that the 11th Circuit has the power to order a reassessment to avoid having a judge that leans so heavily for a defendant that their objectivity is called into question.
The indictment against the former president includes at least seven federal charges, including conspiracy and obstruction. The Republican businessman has repeatedly claimed that he has done any wrongdoing and once again said on Thursday that he is innocent, said ABC News.
