Miami, Florida – Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida federal court has made significant decisions in former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case, causing delays and bringing new developments to the legal proceedings. Cannon’s latest move includes scheduling a comprehensive hearing on Trump’s request to challenge the legitimacy of special counsel Jack Smith’s appointment, indicating a potential willingness to overrule the special prosecutor’s authority.

This hearing, set to take place later this month, marks a notable twist in the federal criminal case against Trump, allowing various political partisans and constitutional experts not directly involved in the case to participate in oral arguments. The decision to involve external voices in a criminal case of this nature, filed a year ago and potentially not going to trial until next year, is unprecedented.

Furthermore, Cannon has also expanded the scope of the case by addressing a gag order request from prosecutors aimed at restraining Trump’s commentary on law enforcement matters. This hearing, alongside arguments on the special counsel issue and Trump’s attempts to exclude evidence obtained during FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago or provided by his former attorney to a grand jury, is set for the week of June 21.

In a departure from other federal trial-level judges handling cases involving special counsels, Cannon’s approach has been characterized by extensive scheduling of arguments and postponement of legal resolutions, creating a significant backlog of unresolved matters in Trump’s classified records case. Despite challenges from Trump and other notable figures in prior special counsel probes being dismissed by other courts, Cannon’s handling of the case remains distinct.

The involvement of third-party groups in arguing for and against aspects of the case further complicates the legal landscape, with groups supporting Trump’s dismissal seeking to challenge the special counsel’s authority on constitutional grounds. Notably, former Republican-appointed US attorneys general Edwin Meese and Michael Mukasey are among those supporting Trump’s position, set to present their arguments alongside Justice Department and defendant’s lawyers before Cannon.