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submitted 8 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

The MAGA-friendly federal judge who keeps siding with Donald Trump in his Mar-a-Lago classified records case has forced prosecutors to make a stark choice: allow jurors to see a huge trove of national secrets or let him go.

U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon’sultimatum Monday night came as a surprise twist in what could have been a simple order; one merely asking federal prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers for proposed jury instructions at the upcoming trial.

But as she has done repeatedly, Cannon used this otherwise innocuous legal step as yet another way to swing the case wildly in favor of the man who appointed her while he was president.

Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith must now choose whether to allow jurors at the upcoming criminal trial to peruse the many classified records found at the former president’s South Florida mansion or give jurors instructions that would effectively order them to acquit him.

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[-] knobbysideup@sh.itjust.works 66 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

This ignorance alone should get her removed from the case. Dear Lord. There are laws and rules for how classified information must be handled. Wtf?

[-] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 months ago

There are also rules for evidence, which are generally the most important rulings in a criminal trial. Allowing the documents to be left out but also used as evidence is an obvious appeal that likely wins, secret evidence isn't allowed.

[-] capital@lemmy.world 33 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

How the fuck do you prosecute this case then? Read all the jury in just to see the evidence and then back out again?

The jury needs to know if they’re classified. Why do they need to see the contents?

[-] villainy@lemmy.world 20 points 8 months ago

This is what I'm asking. What do the contents of the documents have to do with the case at hand? How do the contents of these classified documents absolve him of the charges for making false statements and obstruction of justice?

[-] borari@sh.itjust.works 13 points 8 months ago

And if the jury really needs to know the contents of the files, I don’t see any issue with just swearing in a jury of already cleared TS SCI w/Poly Commissioned Officers, or just full send it and let Trump get prosecuted in a military court. I’d love to see a bunch of GWOT brass ream that dudes asshole.

[-] Natanael@slrpnk.net 11 points 8 months ago

He didn't choose most of these documents because of their contents, just because they're classified to satisfy his power trip, so all the jury needs to know is that they're genuine government documents which are classified which he didn't have the right to take.

If this case had involved what he did with information in it then sure, but it ISN'T

[-] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago

Secret evidence is literally allowed all the time when dealing with secrets if the document in question is specs of nuclear weapons you redact all the strategically important info and allow them to see the header and subject matter without all the details.

this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2024
384 points (97.5% liked)

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