Judge dismisses Trump classified documents indictment case

Aileen Cannon, a US Federal District Judge, has dismissed the classified document indictment case against former President Donald Trump, citing the unauthorized appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Judge Cannon, appointed by Trump in 2020, ruled on Monday that Smith’s appointment violated the US Constitution, effectively clearing one of the major legal obstacles facing Trump.

This ruling comes amid heightened tensions following the shooting of Trump during a rally on Saturday, July 13. The dismissal of the case, which many legal experts had deemed the strongest among the four pending against Trump, coincides with the Republican National Convention.

Trump was initially charged by Smith in 2023 with taking classified documents from the White House and resisting government attempts to retrieve them.

Trump pleaded not guilty to these charges. Besides the classified documents case, Trump is also dealing with a state-level election subversion case in Georgia and was recently convicted of state crimes in New York related to a hush money payment scheme before the 2016 election.