Experts warn 'stealth attempt' by Cannon to delay Trump trial gives defense 'opportunity for mischief'

Of all the judges who will be overseeing criminal cases in which former President Donald Trump was indicted, Aileen Cannon — a Trump appointee — has drawn the most criticism from Trump's detractors. Cannon was assigned to special counsel Jack Smith's Mar-a-Lago documents prosecution, and according to critics, her rulings could delay the trial significantly.

Politico's Josh Gerstein, in a report published on November 22, explains, "Judge Aileen Cannon seems to be in no hurry. On paper, she has scheduled a trial to open next May in the case charging Donald Trump with hoarding national security secrets at Mar-a-Lago. In reality, she has run the pretrial process at a leisurely pace that will make a postponement almost inevitable, according to experts on criminal prosecutions related to classified information."

Gerstein adds, "Delaying Trump's trial until after the November election would have a momentous implication: It might mean the trial never happens at all. If Trump wins the election and the case is still pending, he's expected to order the Justice Department to shut it down."

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Brian Greer, a former CIA attorney, doubts the trial will begin on May 20, 2024 as announced.

Greer told Politico, "It could be seen as a stealth attempt to delay the ultimate trial date without actually announcing that yet. There's pretty much no chance they could go to trial on May 20 with the current schedule.... She's certainly taken her time to litigate things."

Former federal prosecutor David Aaron, similarly, warns that a trial starting on May 20 is unlikely unless "a lot of discipline is imposed." And he fears that Trump's lawyers will use the delays to create "mischief."

Aaron told Politico, "There are valid reasons (to object) from a press perspective and a defense perspective, but it also does provide an opportunity for mischief by the defense."

READ MORE: Judge Aileen Cannon called out for wasting time on Trump’s 'frivolous' pleadings

Politico's full report is available at this link.