The MAGA-friendly federal judge who keeps siding with Donald Trump in his Mar-a-Lago classified records case has forced prosecutors to make a stark choice: allow jurors to see a huge trove of national secrets or let him go.

U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon’sultimatum Monday night came as a surprise twist in what could have been a simple order; one merely asking federal prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers for proposed jury instructions at the upcoming trial.

But as she has done repeatedly, Cannon used this otherwise innocuous legal step as yet another way to swing the case wildly in favor of the man who appointed her while he was president.

Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith must now choose whether to allow jurors at the upcoming criminal trial to peruse the many classified records found at the former president’s South Florida mansion or give jurors instructions that would effectively order them to acquit him.

    • Ferrous@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      8 months ago

      If Trump is such an imminent threat to democracy, and his game plan is full on fascism, why doesn’t Joe Biden or the democrats simply ban him from running?

      • TurtleJoe@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        The supreme Court has already ruled (deliberately incorrectly) that a candidate cannot be barred from running for federal office unless 2/3 of Congress declares them an insurrectionist.

        (The original language of the amendment says that 2/3 of Congress is required to allow a former insurrectionist to hold office, the SC intentionally got it backwards to allow so the treasonous Rs, not just Trump, who participated in 1/6 to avoid consequences.

        • Ferrous@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          8 months ago

          So what you’re saying is that under our system, fascists are entitled to run for president?

          Trump broke every rule on the book - why can’t Joe? The democrat’s weird-ass obsession with precedent, civility, and the sanctity of American politics (that were devised by 30 year old white slave owners) has made them entirely toothless and ill equipped to deal with fascism. I’ll never understand the liberal position that fascists must, at all costs, be allowed to run in elections. Stomp that shit out.

          • Blooper@lemmynsfw.com
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            8 months ago

            This makes me a bit excited to see a court rule that a sitting president is immune. If that happens (it won’t), I would expect Biden to immediately take full advantage of his newfound powers and publicly announce a dead or alive bounty for a whole slew of right-wing fascists currently holding or running for public office. That particular ruling could really solve this little Nazi problem that’s been developing here in the US.

            “Good news, Mr Trump! You’re off the hook since one of those obviously illegal things you did were crimes because you had presidential immunity. Hey, while I have you…”

      • guacupado@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        A couple states did. But Trump also owns half the supreme court and they just ruled the states have to let Trump run.

      • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        If Trump is such a threat to democracy, why don’t we do away with democracy to stop him??

      • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        8 months ago

        Joe Biden was never the candidate who was going to go tough on fascism. In fact only the most stalwart of the progressives would do that.

        Also Democrats raised more money during Trumps candidacy and term in office than ever before. Hes a great monster under the bed they can point to. Its the same reason Republicans will never fix the border, even when they have a majority, they need those issues to exist so they can manufacture Fear Uncertainty and Doubt, and use it to keep the power they have.

        Biden ran for president like six times and when he won was when his opponent was a literal fascist. It’s factually correct to say that the threat of Trump allows the DNC to run candidates that would otherwise lose elections. I also suspect when Democrats say things like ‘we have to beat Trump at the ballot box’ it’s because they know if Trump was locked up and Haley got the nomination, Biden would have a much lower chance of winning.

          • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            8 months ago

            He’s still not beating Trump in swing states, and that’s with the anti Trump Republicans on his side, you live in a fantasy world if you dont realize Biden loses all the center right support he has to Haley if she’s in the general.