'Unjustifiably delayed': Expert snaps at Judge Aileen Cannon for dragging out Trump case
Former FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann hit out at the handling of the classified documents case for Donald Trump Thursday, calling it "unjustifiably delayed."
Judge Aileen Cannon's slow-walking of the case — which is scheduled to start in May but has seen several delays — has been a complaint voiced by several legal analysts, who view it as a simple matter with plenty of case law to look to for guidance, former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance argued on MSNBC. She predicted "fireworks" if Cannon, deviates from other similar cases.
And Weissmann agreed.
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"The case that I think is really unjustifiably delayed is this one," Weissmann complained. "This is a case that is really quite simple in terms of its facts, in terms of preparation. Judge Cannon could have held this very routine hearing she held with the government — it could have been held months ago. There's been zero reason put on the record as to why she delayed."
He confessed to being cynical by nature, but he said that he gave her the benefit of the doubt at the start of the trial. Now, his patience has been tested to the extreme.
"I don't see any reason that this is taking as long as it did," Weissmann explained. "This is a very routine process to have these, what are called Section 4 hearings between the government and the judge as to what evidence can be used," he said, referring to a pre-trial hearing to discuss what classified information can be used as evidence which has taken a long time to be heard.
"I've been in those myself. I think this is one where there are a lot of excuses being given to her to continue the delay of the case. As you know, at the beginning of March, she's going to hear the parties on whether she's going to keep the May trial date. I think it's pretty forgone that that date is going to slip."
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