Federal Judge Aileen Cannon has denied one of Trump’s motions to dismiss multiple counts in his classified documents case, according to a new order issued late Monday afternoon.
Cannon did agree to strike one paragraph from the indictment, though it’s not linked to any particular charge in the indictment.
In her order, Cannon expressed agreement with Trump’s team that “much of the language” in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s speaking indictment of Trump and his two co-defendants “is legally unnecessary.”
She further points to “the risks that can flow from a prosecutor’s decision to include in a charging document an extensive account of his or her view of the facts, especially in cases of public interest.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at Sunset Park on June 09, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (PHOTO by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Last June, Trump pleaded not guilty to a 37-count indictment related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation’s defense capabilities, and took steps to thwart the government’s efforts to get the documents back.
Federal Judge Aileen Cannon has denied a defense motion to dismiss several counts in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. However, she did agree to strike an unnecessary paragraph from the indictment, which is not tied to any specific charge. Cannon criticized the extensive and legally unnecessary language in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment, highlighting the potential risks of such detailed accounts in high-profile cases. Trump, who pleaded not guilty to a 37-count indictment in June, is accused of mishandling classified documents and obstructing efforts to retrieve them.
