Trump-appointed judge Aileen Cannon in a ‘tough position’ as she oversees his classified documents case

Cannon’s assignment to preside over the trial has added another layer of controversy to the first ever federal-level criminal prosecution of a former US president

Legal experts say she should recuse herself because she has previously displayed bias towards the Republican, who is accused of hiding secret documents

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US judge Aileen Mercedes Cannon. Photo: US District Court for the Southern District of Florida/AFP

Published: 11:40am, 17 Jun 2023

When Aileen Mercedes Cannon was appointed a judge by Donald Trump three years ago, she could hardly have imagined he would wind up as a defendant in her court.

Judge Cannon’s assignment to preside over Trump’s high-stakes trial has added another layer of controversy to the first ever federal-level criminal prosecution of a former US president.

Some legal experts have argued that Cannon should recuse herself because she has previously displayed bias towards Trump, who is accused of mishandling government secrets.

Others contend that Cannon, who was nominated to a lifetime appointment as a District Court judge by Trump in May 2020, will ensure that the former president gets a fair shake.

“It’s impossible now for Trump to complain that he’s got a judge that is biased against him,” said Edward Foley, a constitutional law professor at Ohio State University.

Thomas Holbrook, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said Cannon is in a “tough position.”