'Something to keep your eye on': Analyst explains why judge’s 'gamesmanship' raises concern

Judge Aileen Cannon raised concern among legal experts Thursday when she denied a request from U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith's in ex-President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.

The Florida judge "'set (a) CIPA Section 5 deadline' in the case — meaning that the 'defendant is required to disclose what classified info he intends to use at trial.'"

The DOJ notes, "The linchpin of CIPA (Classified Information Procedures Act)is section 5(a), which requires a defendant who reasonably intends to disclose (or cause the disclosure of) classified information to provide timely pretrial written notice of his intention to the Court and the Government."

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Legal analyst Andrew Weissman explained to MSNBC's Alicia Menendez about why he is now "concerned about the judge's bias."

Weissman said, "Judge Cannon has, in the last week, issued two separate decisions. She's keeping, for now, the trial date. So she's sort of blocking any judge — eg. Georgia — she's blocking the May trial date. She's sitting there with that date. But she said she'll revisit on March 1st whether she's gonna keep that date. But everything she's doing with the classified documents and the schedule was pushing that way off. The government asked her yesterday to schedule a particular hearing, it's a very routine hearing and she basically said, 'denied.' And so she's pushed off all these internal dates of when things are due and when she'll hold hearings. For all of us in the know, it's clear there's no way this could possibly go on May 20th, but by not moving the trial date, she's also preventing any other trial from being scheduled. So I think this is sort of a very — something to keep your eye on — her gamesmanship."

Watch the video below or at this link.

'Gamesmanship' of Judge Cannon 'something to keep your eye on': legal analystyoutu.be

READ MORE: 'In the bag for Trump': Ex-federal prosecutor slams Cannon’s 'bias' after judge denies Jack Smith request