'Stunning': Legal experts react to 'extremely rare' development in Aileen Cannon saga

Legal experts were left shocked Thursday after a New York Times report revealed that Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over Donald Trump's classified documents case, was told by other judges that she should pass the case off to a more experienced jurist.

Among those advising Cannon was the chief judge of Cannon's court. Cannon declined.

Charlie Savage, one of the reporters on the story, told CNN it's "extremely rare for judges to tell other judges that they ought to step aside. So, it's not like there's a roadmap here that makes anything about this normal."

Read Also: A criminologist explains why Judge Cannon must step away from Trump trial immediately

"It is quite normal for novice judges newly appointed to the bench, like Judge Cannon, to look to her colleagues or their colleagues who had many, many more years of experience being judges for advice and mentorship about how to do the job. And that is a, sort of, informal culture in federal courts — probably state courts too — mentoring and helping young judges sort of get their feet under them.

"And, so, this is certainly her rejecting that culture and going her own way."

On X, MSNBC host and analyst Katie Phang called the move "Stunning the hubris … resulting in repeated miscarriages of justice."

"Given how federal district courts function, this is an especially stunning piece," said MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin.

When she spoke on air, Rubin explained, "The very fact that the conversations even existed is itself remarkable," speaking of the conversation between the judges.

Rubin cited Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga, who clearly stated the reasons she thought Cannon should pass, according to the Times.

Paraphrasing, Rubin said, "Given what happened after the initial search at Mar-a-Lago, and your own involvement and receptivity to a civil lawsuit from former President Trump challenging that search — that's the case in which Judge Cannon appointed a special master slowing down the government's investigation. For several months. Only to be overturned, and very harshly, by the [conservative] 11th circuit."

Given all of that happened, the Times said Altonaga told Cannon, it might be better to step back. Cannon still refused.

"It gives some comfort, I guess, for lack of a better word, to people who have said all along that Judge Cannon's handling of this case has been somewhat awry and mysterious to know that two other judges also thought she might be out of her depth, if not biased in her handling of the case," Rubin closed.

Former state and federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner posted comments about Cannon mere hours before the story dropped.

"The federal law requires a judge to recuse from a case if 'her impartiality might reasonably be questioned." (28 USC 455)," he wrote on X.

He quoted retired Judge Shira Scheindlin, who found the constant delays in the case to be the biggest standout. "The second thing that stands out to me is what appears to me to be her dislike of the government and her favoritism toward the defense."

"Instead, Cannon will have to be removed from the case. And the bench. So far she's proved she barely knows where the court building is," former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann.

Political scientist Norman Ornstein called Cannon "even more corrupt than we thought."

See the full comments from CNN and MSNBC below or at the link here.

Judge Aileen Cannon rebuffed suggested from chief justice to pass on the Trump caseyoutu.be

Lisa Rubin on Cannonyoutu.be