July 15th 2024.
In a surprising turn of events, a federal judge in Washington has dismissed the prosecution of former President Donald Trump's classified documents case in Florida. This decision was made in favor of the defense lawyers who argued that the special counsel who filed the charges had been illegally appointed.
This brings an abrupt and dramatic end to what was once considered the most dangerous legal threat for the Republican ex-president. The charges against Trump included numerous felony counts for hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida and obstructing the FBI's attempts to retrieve them.
The defense team had raised multiple challenges to the case, including a technical one that claimed the special counsel, Jack Smith, had been unlawfully appointed under the Appointments Clause of the Constitution. They also argued that his office was receiving improper funding from the Justice Department.
Judge Aileen Cannon, who has been under scrutiny for her handling of the case since before the charges were even filed, agreed with the defense's arguments. In her 93-page order, she stated that "The Framers gave Congress a pivotal role in the appointment of principal and inferior officers. That role cannot be usurped by the Executive Branch or diffused elsewhere - whether in this case or in another case, whether in times of heightened national need or not."
The special counsel's team had strongly contested this argument during the hearings last month and had even suggested that even if the ruling went in the defense's favor, the entire case should not be dismissed. However, their efforts were in vain as the judge ruled in favor of the defense.
There has been no immediate response from the special counsel's team, while the Trump team has declined to comment. This dismissal of the case by the federal judge has left many wondering about the future of the legal battles faced by the former president.
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