As a former White House attorney under Donald Trump, it’s safe to say Ty Cobb got to know his boss well. Perhaps more so than he wished to. He probably knows what move Trump is going to try before he actually does it. He was on hand during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and left Trumpland in 2018, having originally entered in 2017. And even though Trump continually called Mueller’s investigation a “witch hunt,” Cobb said he didn’t think it was and later told ABC News he believed Mueller to be an “American hero.”
So when he says U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has “no intention” of allowing the classified documents case to be presented before the 2024 presidential election, it’s safe to assume he knows what he’s talking about.
In an interview on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront, he served up some special criticism for Cannon, according to The Hill. It’s plain to see this judge is hugely biased in Trump’s favor and against Jack Smith and his team, who have indicted Trump on 37 criminal counts stemming from his alleged willful retention of top-secret information, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.
“i think that this judge has no intention of allowing this case to be tried before the election, and, in any event, i think her ruling last week was clear error, as jack smith has highlighted in the motion to reconsider,” Cobb said.
Smith filed the motion last week, in response to Cannon’s ruling that would give Trump’s legal team the chance to publicly disclose witness identities and their testimony to the court docket. This could, of course, open witnesses up to harassment. Given the way that Trump supporters are, harassment is entirely likely.
The Justice Department has also backed Smith, arguing in a motion to reconsider that Cannon was off the mark in her legal rationale for giving Trump’s legal team leeway to do this, and it’s a move that could prove risky, exposing some two dozen witnesses to harassment, since Cannon requires no redactions.
I’m going to point out here that this isn’t the first time Cannon has used less-than-perfect judgment. As this story from NBC News published on August 23, 2023, points out during a trial in June of that year, Cannon committed two “key” errors during the trial of an Alabama man who was accused by federal prosecutors of running a website that allegedly held images of child sex abuse. She had closed the hearing to the man’s family and the general public. The U.S. Constitution enshrines a defendant’s right to a public trial in its Sixth Amendment.
That was her first error in the trial. The second one came when she failed to swear in the prospective jury pool — something that’s mandatory as it allows potential jurors to pledge to tell the truth during the selection process. This was a big enough goof that it forced Cannon to re-start jury selection before the trial ended abruptly as the defendant pleaded guilty as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
So Cannon can be considered error-prone, at least in some instances, and perhaps her common sense isn’t up to par either. Cobb said he wasn’t certain how Cannon would proceed but added he wouldn’t be surprised if Smith’s team seeks her removal if she doesn’t reconsider her ruling.
“i think if she doesn’t reconsider or if she reconsiders and stays the course on that ruling, that the special counsel will mandamus her and the 11th circuit will reverse her quickly and perhaps even remove her,” he said.
“certainly if she grants access to classified documents that the government doesn’t believe is appropriate under the classified procedures act, the government has a right to an interlocutory appeal to go straight to the 11th circuit and seek relief on that and also likely to seek her removal.”
That is everything we could hope for. Let’s hope he’s right. It’s obvious that Cannon, who was appointed by Trump to the District Court in 2020, is trying to stall this trial as long as she can. I think the trial I referenced above, shows that Cannon, by forgetting standard things like swearing in a jury pool, something that is an important part of such trials, isn’t a particularly highly-skilled judge and she’s just plain wrong for this trial.
Period. Seriously. This woman needs a new job.
Does Mr. Cobb know what he’s talking about because he has first-hand knowledge? This would not surprise me but no matter-the 11th circuit court with jurisdiction over the dumb tw*t have no excuses for not booting her off this case. Not sure if they can boot her off the bench but if so, they have no excuses for not doing that either. They damned sure can have a little sit-down with the state’s bar association and whatever agency licenses idiots like this br*ad and this can and should be done immediately–her license to practice needs to be revoked since she is so totally clueless about the law and so totally corrupt it is truly breath-taking. This little shit-show she has put on has lasted long enough and the 11th circuit has more than enough evidence she belongs nowhere near this case or quite frankly any other federal case.
I can see why she’s blowing dingleberry–she is every bit as incompetent as that boob is and it has been very evident since her circus clown act began. Get rid of the dumb beeotch.
I think she is completely incompetent and should be recused immediately. I think the DOJ has done the right thing by filing this motion and I hope she gets booted. I’m just so jaded about any of this anymore, that I’m not holding my breath.
Eradicate Trump the virus!
Ten gazillion boxes of classified secrets wasn’t enough for her. She’s waiting for what was in the secret room and locked closet.
She is proof of something I have believed for years: when it comes to.appointing women,the most important quality is their looks. Not their education (Harvard, not some tiny obscure law school.no one who has never heard because it is 5th tier and wiill.take anyone with tuition money). Not their trial experience. Not their repuation. Just be pretty enough and you’ve got the job.