A ruling by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Canon allowing unrelated parties to charge Donald Trump for refusing to return stolen government documents has been questioned by a former lawyer American on MSNBC Saturday afternoon.
Speaking to host Katie Phang, former prosecutor Joyce Vance said it was incomprehensible that Cannon — a Trump appointee — would waste time hearing from outsiders in a way that even the Supreme Court would likely balk at.
“I have to start with the Mar-a-Lago classified documents, the espionage case as they call it,” suggested host Phang. “The idea that Judge Cannon would allow attorneys and friends of the court to make oral arguments and present a motion in open court amazes me. Do you share that same sentiment?”
“It’s absolutely astounding,” Vance responded before explaining: “We see amicus briefs used quite extensively in the Supreme Court and in the courts of appeals – very rarely in the district courts. I think that It’s actually unprecedented to give them time to argue in district court.
“Even at the Supreme Court, it usually involves the government intervening in a matter between private parties when they have an interest,” she continued. It’s like Judge Aileen Cannon, the judge in the case, went out into the street and said, just random people, ‘Hey, come in, tell me what you think about this issue.'”
“They are not parties, they have no interest in the outcome of this case, it is unusual,” she added.
You can watch below or at the link.