The selection of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida to preside over the federal trial of former President Donald Trump on charges of mishandling classified documents sparked an outcry.

Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Trump in 2020, rendered rulings in the former president’s favor following the search on his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, during which the documents that form the basis of the case against him were seized. These rulings were mainly invalidated by an appellate court.

As a result, when she was announced as the judge for Trump’s case on Friday, the stage was set for protests.

Michael Bromwich, who served as inspector general of the Justice Department under President Bill Clinton, tweeted on Saturday, “This is bad news for everyone except for Trump.”

“For a case as important as this one, it’s critical to have a judge who is experienced, smart, and impartial,” he said. “Judge Cannon fails on each of these dimensions. If she has any self-awareness, she should recuse herself.”

I’ve been assured that attacking a judge is an assault on democracy and the rule of law.

Yet, I see a lot of press members going after Aileen Cannon, the judge in the Trump case.

So weird.

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) June 12, 2023

A court official for the Southern District of Florida stated that critics may simply have to accept it.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that Chief Clerk Angela Noble said Cannon would remain on the case unless she elected to recuse herself.

Noble stated that “normal procedures were followed” in the arbitrary process that placed the case in Cannon’s lap.

At this time of year, the rotation of cases precludes senior justices who have already reached their quota.

Noble stated that other factors, such as the volume of cases from the Miami area that occupy the time of other judges, decreased the likelihood that another active judge would manage the case.

More on this story via The Western Journal:

Cannon “draws 50 percent of her cases from West Palm Beach, increasing her odds,” the chief clerk wrote.

Noble said that there was no procedure by which the judge would handle the start of the case and hand it off to another judge, affirming that the only way Cannon goes off the case is for her to initiate the action. CONTINUE READING…