It didn’t help him in the end, but just how did Donald Trump get lucky enough to draw that inside straight?
Now that everything is crumbling down around Donald Trump, legal experts are still wondering how he was lucky enough to draw a sympathetic judge in Florida. There was no luck involved. In that one area, Trump’s lawyers showed their skill not in something they could do but in something they didn’t do. Let me explain. When attorneys file lawsuits, they are asked whether the case they are filing is related to another case pending in that court. This is true on both the state and federal levels. This is done for judicial efficiency; meaning, a judge who is already familiar with the basic aspects of the case is better situated to hear the new case. If the case is related to an already pending matter, a truthful attorney will mark “yes” on the civil cover sheet. Then, the person responsible for assigning cases to judges has a “no brainer” situation and simply assigns the new case to the judge who is already presiding over the pending matter. The operative word here is “truthful.” Donald Trump’s attorneys chose to not be truthful when they filed his motion for special master. The reason is obvious: their new case would have gone to Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed the FBI warrant that allowed for the search of Mar-a-Lago. They obviously didn’t want Reinhart, so they lied.
That lie allowed Trump’s attorneys to land their case exactly where they wanted it: before a Trump-sympathetic judge. Now, Cannon is not the only judge on that bench, so how it specifically landed in her lap remains a mystery. Had Trump’s attorneys been truthful, however, their motion would certainly have gone to the judge who already granted probable cause for the FBI’s search warrant, and that’s something they absolutely did not want, as their motion would have been a complete waste of time. It’s turning out to be that anyway, and many wonder why Judge Aileen Cannon staked her career and reputation on something so unnecessary. The Court of Appeals has already overturned part of her order, and it is likely they will overturn the rest. The Court of Appeals put in writing that Cannon “abused her authority,” and the Supreme Court basically told Trump to go to hell, which is yet another slap in Cannon’s face.
MSNBC Legal analyst Ken Dilanian said that the decision of the Supreme Court is “not a good sign” for either Trump or Cannon. Joe Scarborough chimed in, saying that the because the Supreme Court is so conservative and snubbed its nose at Trump’s appeal, Cannon is “humiliated.” She should be humiliated, and she should be ashamed to even call herself a federal judge. Judges are supposed to follow the rule of law, and given that Trump’s attorneys presented no law, Cannon should never have ruled in their favor. If she has any pride in herself left, she will resign, but we know that won’t happen. Who would give up a cushy, five-figure job? Where this is all leading remains to be seen, but things aren’t looking good for Donald Trump.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years