The Problem with Aileen

“She’s both an inexperienced judge and a judge who has previously indicated that she thinks the former president is subject to special rules, so who knows what she will do with those issues?” 

--Julie O’Sullivan, Georgetown University professor of law and former federal prosecutor

 

 

Judge Aileen M. Cannon

It's been revealed that Federal Judge Aileen Cannon has run a courtroom trial only four times previous to USA v. Donald J. Trump, for a total of 14 hours of courtroom experience. Lawyers who appeared before her told the NYTimes that Judge Cannon is "demonstrably inexperienced and can bristle when her actions are questioned or unexpected issues arise." 

In other words, whatever you do, don't sneak up on her!

 

Judge Cannon shocked legal experts across the ideological divide by disrupting the Trump classified documents investigation with bizarre rulings favorable to Trump, arguing that Mr. Trump gets special protections as a former president that regular targets of the FBI don't enjoy ("11th Circuit Vacates Cannon’s Order to Appoint a Special Master in Mar-a-lago Investigation").

 

Trump appointed Aileen Cannon to the Federal bench shortly after he lost reelection in November of 2020. She had not served previously as any kind of judge. Now she's very much his kind of judge.