John AdoyiIn a significant legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a United States District Judge in the state of Florida has dismissed the criminal case brought against Trump by the US Justice Department. The case, which centered on classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida on 8 August 2023 was thrown out due to the alleged illegality of the appointed special counsel, Jack Smith.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon made the ruling following a hearing where Trump’s legal team argued for the dismissal of charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The defense contended that Smith was appointed and funded without adhering to due process. Trump’s lawyers presented multiple challenges, including a claim that Jack Smith’s appointment violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, which governs the appointment of certain government officials, and that his office was improperly funded by the Justice Department, according to the Associated Press.
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In her ruling on Monday, Judge Cannon stated: “The Clerk is directed to CLOSE this case. Any scheduled hearings are CANCELLED. Any pending motions are DENIED AS MOOT, and any pending deadlines are TERMINATED.” She further concluded in her 93-page ruling, “The Court is convinced that Special Counsel Smith’s prosecution of this action breaches two structural cornerstones of our constitutional scheme—the role of Congress in the appointment of constitutional officers, and the role of Congress in authorising expenditures by law.”
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This ruling marks another legal victory for Trump, following a July 1 US Supreme Court decision that granted him immunity from prosecution for any crimes committed while in office. Trump is currently facing several legal battles stemming from actions during his presidency. In May, he was convicted for falsifying business records and paying hush money to Stormy Daniels in 2016, a ruling he has vowed to challenge.
Trump, who is the Republican candidate for the November 2024 election, survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last Saturday.
He welcomed Judge Cannon’s ruling, stating that the dismissal “should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts.”
“Let us come together to END all Weaponisation of our Justice System, and Make America Great Again!” he added.
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