Aviva Fried, edited by Laura Laplaud / Photo credit: ED JONES / AFP
Donald Trump, prosecuted for his negligent management of state secrets after leaving the White House, could benefit from a strong ally during his trial. Aileen Cannon is the assigned judge for the trial, except she is also an acquaintance of the former President of the United States.
He already called him a “wicked monster”. Since his indictment in the top secret documents affair, Donald Trump has further stepped up his attacks on the Department of Justice, at the risk of undermining Americans’ confidence in the rule of law. Now, the terms of his trial raise questions: when will it take place? Aileen Cannon, judge designate, will make that decision. Except that Aileen Cannon is an acquaintance of Donald Trump.
Will Aileen Cannon weigh in on the trial?
From the start, Donald Trump had the baraka. Fate willed that Judge Aileen Cannon be responsible for overseeing, at least initially, the impeachment of Donald Trump. Except that Aileen Cannon was appointed by Donald Trump himself, which obviously poses the problem of his impartiality. Especially since, in the past, it has already made decisions favorable to the former president. A decision rejected by a court of appeal, however conservative, which had been very critical of the judge.
Aileen Cannon will preside over the trial and she will be able to influence its progress. Donald Trump, for example, wants to drag things out, if possible after the elections. The judge has several powers such as determining the timetable, accepting or excluding certain evidence. She can weigh in the selection of the jury and she can even consider that the case has not been proven and acquit Donald Trump directly.
The judge could decide to recuse herself
That doesn’t mean Justice Cannon will do all of that. But appearances are very important in the American legal process and many lawyers believe that Aileen Cannon should recuse herself before the start of the proceedings.