Federal Judge Denies Trump's Bid to Dismiss Documents Case, Strikes 1 Allegation

In a recent ruling, Judge Aileen Cannon rejected requests from the legal team of former President Donald Trump to dismiss the charges brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith. The charges, which include the unlawful retention of national defense information and an alleged scheme to obstruct a federal probe, were filed in 2023.

While denying numerous claims by Trump's defense attorneys, Judge Cannon criticized the prosecutors' description of one incident as unnecessary to the charges. As a result, she agreed to strike a single paragraph from the charging document due to improperly contained uncharged offense allegations.

Key Allegations Stand, One Paragraph Stricken

The judge ruled that nearly all of the 60-page indictment would stand, with the exception of a single paragraph describing an incident in 2021 when Trump allegedly showed a classified map to an individual without proper clearance. This paragraph was deemed unnecessary as Trump is not charged with showing classified records to others. However, the judge left open the possibility that the alleged conduct could be included in a trial after proper litigation.

While the ruling was a near-total win for the special counsel, the judge also criticized the style of the special counsel's indictment, referring to it as containing "nonessential allegations more akin to a narrative about the government's theory of prosecution." Cannon noted that the "speaking indictment" contained allegations and language against Trump that were legally unnecessary to the underlying charges.

Previous Criticisms and Pretrial Matters

Judge Cannon's recent ruling is in line with her past critiques of the special counsel and his prosecutors. She previously rejected Trump's legal arguments and criticized the special counsel for failing to confer with the defense and described them as "wholly lacking in substance and professional courtesy."

Upcoming Trial Date and Further Legal Proceedings

A trial date for the case against Trump has yet to be set, as the judge continues to work through pretrial matters. Despite rejecting other arguments brought by Trump that the charges should be dropped, Cannon is still considering various motions. Special Counsel Jack Smith charged Trump in Washington, D.C., with four federal counts alleging he worked to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election. The former president has pleaded not guilty to those charges.