The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has formally reprimanded U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon for undue delay in acting on motions to unseal the final portions of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on Donald Trump’s classified documents case.
Cannon — a Trump appointee who previously dismissed the criminal case by ruling Smith’s appointment unconstitutional — has kept Volume II of Smith’s report under seal for months. That volume focuses on the classified documents investigation.
In an order issued this week, the 11th Circuit did not directly order release — but it did something blunt: it gave Cannon a 60-day deadline to rule, saying her months of inaction violated the public’s right of access. The Knight First Amendment Institute and American Oversight brought the challenge.
“By keeping this order in place, Judge Cannon is undermining both accountability and the rule of law,” said American Oversight’s Chioma Chukwu.
“There is no legitimate reason for the report’s continued suppression,” added Knight Institute director Jameel Jaffer.
The order forces a decision — and sets the table for a possible final clash over whether Americans will finally see the full findings of the classified documents probe.
In a political context it may describe a judge or a politician whose unpredictable behavior could harm a party, or for someone who doesn't follow procedures and acts independently
'Established undue delay': Panel puts Judge Cannon on clock, warns her to act on demands for secret Jack Smith report on Trump
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/appeals-court-puts-cannon-on-the-c…