Special Counsel Jack Smith is facing an unprecedented challenge in his pursuit of justice against former President Donald Trump.
With the January 6-related indictment stalled pending a Supreme Court decision, Smith’s remaining opportunity to bring Trump to trial before the November election – regarding the alleged hoarding of classified documents – has been severely hindered by Florida District Court Judge Aileen Cannon’s controversial rulings.
Jack Smith’s Hail Mary: A Writ of Mandamus to Overturn Aileen Cannon’s Decisions
Despite this, Smith has a rare legal recourse: a writ of mandamus, which allows him to bypass Cannon and appeal directly to a higher court to rectify any abuse of discretion and compel the judge to fulfill her judicial duties.
This extraordinary measure is rarely employed due to the considerable leeway afforded to district court judges in managing their dockets.
However, the exceptional circumstances of this case, coupled with Cannon’s handling of the trial thus far, have led legal experts to suggest that a writ of mandamus may be within Smith’s reach.
Cannon, appointed by Trump in 2020, has been accused of slow-walking the case, taking excessive time to issue decisions on pretrial motions, and building unnecessary slack into pretrial deadlines.
Her actions have raised concerns about the appearance of bias and favoritism towards the defendant. If successful, a writ of mandamus could force Cannon to expedite the trial and prevent further delays, potentially paving the way for a trial before the November election.
