In a significant legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a federal judge in Florida dismissed the classified documents case against him on Monday.
The decision was based on defence claims that special counsel Jack Smith’s appointment by the Justice Department was illegal.
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Today, Judge Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Mr Trump in 2020, dismissed the case on the grounds that the prosecution’s Special Counsel, Jack Smith, did not have the authority to bring the case.
Hours later, Smith’s office announced plans to appeal the decision, which could potentially overturn the dismissal by a higher court. However, for now, the case is on hold.
The dismissal came just after an assassination attempt and ahead of his anticipated acceptance of the Republican nomination at the convention in Milwaukee.
“The superseding indictment is dismissed because Special Counsel Smith’s appointment violates the appointments clause of the United States Constitution,” she wrote in her ruling.
Though the case had been stalled, the judge’s order delivered a political boost to Trump.
Trump was charged with hoarding classified records at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructing FBI efforts to retrieve them.
The indictment included dozens of felony counts.
Trump’s defence argued that Smith’s appointment violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause as it bypassed Congress, a view Judge Cannon supported in her 93-page order.
In her ruling, Cannon said that Attorney General Merrick Garland exceeded his authority by appointing a special counsel without Senate approval, undermining congressional power.
She highlighted that congressional approval is necessary for such appointments.
Trump’s legal team praised the ruling, calling it a restoration of the rule of law.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has authorised an appeal, saying that the dismissal deviates from previous court conclusions on the Attorney General’s statutory authority to appoint a special counsel.
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