Judge Cannon Committed Two Key Errors in a June Trial

wing2000

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How will she handle public scrutiny in the classified documents trial?

WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The judge in former U.S. President Donald Trump's upcoming trial over his handling of classified documents made two key errors in a June trial, one of which violated a fundamental constitutional right of the defendant and could have invalidated the proceedings, according to legal experts and a court transcript.

Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon closed jury selection for the trial of an Alabama man - accused by federal prosecutors of running a website with images of child sex abuse - to the defendant's family and the general public, a trial transcript obtained by Reuters showed. A defendant's right to a public trial is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution's Sixth Amendment.

Cannon, a 42-year-old former federal prosecutor appointed by Trump to the bench in 2020 late in his presidency, also neglected to swear in the prospective jury pool - an obligatory procedure in which people who may serve on the panel pledge to tell the truth during the selection process. This error forced Cannon to re-start jury selection before the trial ended abruptly with defendant William Spearman pleading guilty as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

 

Arcangl86

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Honestly, this is the main reason I was worried about her being assigned the case. This is a very complex case and she's a very young judge with limited experience. Even if they had kept it in Florida, Special Counsel Smith should have asked for a new judge.
 
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