Judge Aileen Cannon has been under the spotlight recently, drawing criticism over the slow pace at which she has been handling the Trump documents case. Now, some are questioning whether this delay could be attributed to the recent departure of several of her law clerks.
Nearly three weeks have passed since the last hearing in this noteworthy case, yet no trial date has been set. A federal judge whose rulings in cases revolving around former president Trump have garnered attention, Cannon now faces critiques over an accumulation of unresolved issues on her docket. However, is this really the cause of delay, or could there be deeper issues at play?
A recent report by Above the Law founder David Lat on Original Jurisdiction suggests another possible contributor to the slowdown: a judicial staff in flux. It has been reported that at least two of Cannon’s law clerks have quit, potentially impacting the smooth functioning of her chambers. As Lat points out, such a situation could indeed be “highly disruptive to the work of a chambers”.
Lat detailed the sequence of these departures, recording one in October 2023 and another the following December. While Cannon’s chambers are currently fully staffed, there may still be effects from the instability. Among her four current clerks, one joined in August 2023, another in October 2023, and the final two in January 2024. That unusual flow of turnover has likely disturbed the regular proceedings of Cannon’s operations, particularly with a high-profile case like that of Trump’s documents on board.
The key question remaining: could this disturbance in staffing be at the root of the delays in Judge Aileen Cannon’s courtroom? As we move forward, the legal sphere will eagerly anticipate the scheduling of a trial date in the Trump documents case.