Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida, appeared to reprimand the special counsel after being alerted that Trump was also trying to delay his 2020 election subversion case in Washington, D.C. Cannon warned her not to be manipulated. In response, Cannon issued a curt order stating that any notice or response should not exceed 200 words unless authorized by the court, and future non-compliant filings will be stricken without notice. The special counsel’s notice, filed on Thursday, exceeded the word limit with 237 words.
During a Wednesday hearing, Cannon hinted at adding another delay to the trial, which is scheduled to begin in May, based on Trump’s attorneys’ argument that they needed more time due to the D.C. federal case’s schedule. However, federal prosecutors argued for keeping the May 2024 trial date, stating that relying on the D.C. trial date could cause further delays. Shortly after the hearing, Trump requested the judge in the D.C. case to pause the prosecution until his motion to dismiss based on presidential immunity is resolved. This request could take months to go through multiple appeals. Prosecutors submitted a notice, using Trump’s request as evidence of his interest in delaying both trials.
Former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann expressed disbelief at Cannon’s criticism of the special counsel’s team, considering the actions of the Trump defense. Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance tweeted that Cannon chastised prosecutors for violating word limits and showed no interest in Trump’s lawyers’ request to delay the case due to the D.C. case.
Overall, the developments in the case suggest a contentious battle between the special counsel, Trump’s defense, and the judge, with potential implications for the trial’s timeline.
