American Invest Hub
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • Latest News

American Invest Hub

  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • Latest News
Politics

Judge in Trump classified docs case grants Jack Smith request to redact witness names

by admin April 12, 2024
April 12, 2024
Judge in Trump classified docs case grants Jack Smith request to redact witness names

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon on Tuesday relented to special counsel Jack Smith in a long-running dispute over the names of government witnesses in the classified documents case against former President Trump, agreeing to shield their identities from the public eye. 

Cannon only partially granted prosecutors’ request in agreeing to keep the names of FBI agents, Secret Service agents and other potential witnesses in the case under seal. In a 24-page order, the judge refused to categorically block witness statements from being disclosed, saying there was no basis for such a ‘sweeping’ and ‘blanket’ restriction on their inclusion in pretrial motions. 

Cannon rejected a request by Smith’s team to seal from pretrial motions the substance of all witness statements, except for information that could be used to identify witnesses.

‘As for legal authority, the cases cited in the Special Counsel’s papers do not lend support to this sweeping request; nor do they appear to have been offered as such,’ Cannon wrote. ‘And based on the Court’s independent research, granting this request would be unprecedented: the Court cannot locate any case — high-profile or otherwise — in which a court has authorized anything remotely similar to the sweeping relief sought here.’

The disagreement between Smith’s team and lawyers for Trump, which had been pending for weeks, was one of many that had piled up before Cannon and had slowed the pace of the case against Trump. Tuesday’s order was the second time this month that Cannon was critical of Justice Department prosecutors, yet the judge still ruled mostly in their favor, The Washington Post reported.

The case remains without a firm trial date, though both sides have said they could be ready this summer. 

Cannon, who earlier decided to grant Trump’s request for an independent arbiter to review documents obtained during an FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, made clear her continued skepticism of the DOJ theory of prosecution, saying Tuesday that the case raised ‘still-developing and somewhat muddled questions.’

In reconsidering an earlier order and siding with prosecutors on the protection of witness identities, Cannon likely averted a dramatic exacerbation of tensions with Smith’s team, which last week called a separate order from the judge ‘fundamentally flawed,’ according to The Associated Press. 

The issue surfaced in January when defense lawyers filed in partially redacted form a motion that sought to require prosecutors to turn over a trove of documents that they said would bolster their claim that the Biden administration had sought to ‘weaponize’ the government in charging Trump.

Defense lawyers asked permission to file the motion, which included as attachments information that they had obtained from prosecutors, in mostly unredacted form. However, prosecutors objected to unsealing the motion to the extent that it would reveal the identity of any potential government witness.

Cannon then granted the defense’s request for the motion and its exhibits to be filed in unredacted form as long as the personal identifying information of witnesses remained sealed. Smith’s team asked her to reconsider, saying that witnesses could be exposed to threats and harassments if publicly identified.

In agreeing on Tuesday for the witness names to remain redacted, she wrote, ‘Although the record is clear that the Special Counsel could have, and should have, raised its current arguments previously, the Court elects, upon a full review of those newly raised arguments, to reconsider its prior Order.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Johnson bucks GOP privacy hawks in closed lawmaker meeting on spy tool renewal
next post
South Korea’s prime minister and top presidential officials resign en masse

Related Posts

USD/CAD forecast: 2 reasons Canadian dollar is crashing

February 3, 2025

Biden says politics must never be ‘a literal...

July 16, 2024

Biden administration greenlights Ukraine’s use of American weapons...

June 1, 2024

Trump trials will make GOP frontrunner’s daytime campaign...

February 19, 2024

US, UK and Australia take next step in...

August 11, 2024

DOJ will not turn over Biden’s recorded interview...

April 10, 2024

House Republicans rebuke Biden for ‘one-sided pressure’ on...

April 10, 2024

DeSantis criticizes Haley for not endorsing Trump: ‘You...

March 8, 2024

DOJ’s Inspector General takes heat for allegedly ‘targeting...

May 25, 2024

Trump set to host rally in Biden’s home...

April 14, 2024

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest News

    • Interview: Strategic location gives Brazil Potash cost advantage in domestic fertiliser market, says CEO Matt Simpson

      June 1, 2025
    • Canada’s Q1 GDP expands by 2.2%, driven by exports spike ahead of potential US tariffs

      June 1, 2025
    • President Trump to host farewell for Elon Musk as DOGE leader steps away

      June 1, 2025
    • UK’s digital banks face divergent fortunes: Starling stumbles, Monzo and Revolut soars

      June 1, 2025
    • Trump wants Apple to shift iPhone production from India to the US: here’s what it means

      May 18, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (3,022)
    • Investing (2,459)
    • Latest News (1,994)
    • Politics (1,530)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: americaninvesthub.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 americaninvesthub.com | All Rights Reserved