List of witnesses against Trump cannot be secret in documents case, judge rules

Well, surprise, surprise...! Aileen Cannon has ruled that the identities of the 84 witnesses to be introduced by Jack Smith in The Stain's trial should be made public...

"The ruling from Cannon means that the list of 84 witnesses who may testify against Trump at trial would be made available publicly and offer clues about the case prosecutors are bringing, unless the government files a new motion with a detailed rationale for submitting it under seal.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/26/donald-trump-witnesses-classified-documents-judge

Gee, I wonder why she might have done that...I mean, it's not as though those witnesses could be harassed in any way..........could they?

Or is it a challenge to Smith to have her removed...?

 

Tough but good decision imo.

 

As I said in the Trump defense thread, all 84 of these people are already known to the defendant, so they are already in danger.

This will just make it exponentially worse.

Also, 84 is the maximum number. Very unlikely all 84 will testify, so they will be releasing names of people not testifying..... Regardless, no need for this information to come out until the actual trial begins, perhaps during jury selection.

Typically poor Loose Cannon decision... We'll see what Jack does in response...

 

Excellent post.

 

Wow, somebody is mad they can't have a secret trial.

 

Who's THAT?

 

The defense knows every name on the list and everything they've been deposed on, pretty much destroying your lame concept.

Why TF do YOU need to know, especially this far out from the trial?

 

Hmm..looks like a hit a nerve.

 

What’s a secret trial?

 

Well, no - just looks like YOU didn't understand that Trump's lawyers had already been given the list. All parties involved KNEW the names
on the list prior to this order.

It does open some of the witnesses to possible intimidation, threats and possible violence. The names should have been sent to the press as
each finished their testimony. Not a secret trial, just as protection for the witnesses. Just as is often done in organized crime trials.

 

The Constitution guarantees the right to face one's accuser. That's why she did it.

 

We have a right to know.

 

I assume the audio release thrilled you since you want it all out in the open.

 

Just like with the audio released right?

 

Sure....in Court.

 

Duuuuuuhhhh…! John Q Public isn’t being accused! The Orange Stain is….and he is not only able to face his accusers, he’s been given their identities months before he faces them…

So, why do YOU need to know them…??

 

These witnesses are brave Americans. When they agree to testify, judging from all the threats and hate experienced by everyone that has ever stood up to tRaitor tRump in the past, they must have known what they were opening themselves up to. They really have put their country FIRST to be willing to brave the coming shitstorm snd, potential violence, that will be thrown at them AND their families, by tRaitor tRump and his supporters.
BRAVO!!!!

Cannon is a snake that should be thrown off the bench and disbarred.

 

It's not her decision, it's the defendant's rights under the constitution to a jury of your peers, to *face your accusers* and to be made aware of the charges against you. The fact that the DOJ even tried to hide the identity of these witnesses, is just like the whistleblower, etc saga.

And as I mentioned back then, in a court of law that doesn't fly.

 

In a court room, not out in Ultra MAGA radicals harassment landia. Look on the bright side, they can now be harassed and threatened by Ultra MAGA fascists .

 

Sure, but that's not what this is about. This is about making the list public to the news so that the public will have their names, which can mess with the witnesses testimonies via fear and threats from various public radicals.

I think it should be made public after the trial and the trial recorded and released but I don't see why anything should be released prior.

 

And those people will be charged for those crimes, when and if it happens. Also Witness intimidation is yet another charge that can be sticked onto the defendant, and whatever favorable pre-trial terms that Trump got, will go bye bye in a NY minute.

I agree with the judge that there exists no principle reason for the list to be a secret. This isn't a GJ proceeding, it is a criminal trial.

 

She lost all credibility with her prior “documents” ruling.

 

On the contrary, I thought it was fundamentally fair on its premise. But both the 10th circuit as well as Judge Dearie decided that its the court's obligation to automatically defer to the government, rather than to decide for themselves which if any of the documents are to be kept or not.

Or to put it simply, government's claim on the documents is automatically presumed and not challenged or questioned. In which case, Trump's countersuit should have been shot down due to lack of standing. But normally, one has to prove standing. The interesting thing is, during the interactions with Dearie, it wasn't just the Trump team that couldn't designate documents but neither could the DOJ, owing to the classification system.

In a normal case of ownership when neither side can designate or contest what belongs to what. That would be what a judge is for, that is what the Special Masters was ordered for. This is called arbitration.

The idea that the government couldn't possibly, heaven forbid arbitrate the case is a show of where we are as a country with the Justice Department. The DOJ is not actually interested in a fair trial(fair meaning that it's actually possible for the DOJ to be on the other side of a ruling). We all heard the gasping sound in how DARE the judge rule in partial favor(again, it was only partially in favor It wasn't the entirety of what the Trump Defense asked for.) of the defendant!

Like holy **** batman! The world was gonna come to an end! That's how our DOJ views the situation, and so we're inching closer in this regard to the Russian Federation.

Even this Guardian Article is like: OMG, the Judge ruled for it to be on July 14th, instead of July 10th like the prosecution asked for! YES, those 4 extra days will help Trump 'escape justice' or some ****, right? I hope the DOJ doesn't actually contest those 4 days, don't be that petty now.

 

How is making the list of witnesses giving Trump his right to face his accuser. When the witness testifies Trump will face his accuser. His lawyers will have a chance to question that witness in court. That is what is meant by "facing your accuser"

The only thing releasing the witness list does is allow the more rabid Trump supporters to harass and possibly try to intimidate the witness. Do you think that should be allowed?

 

It wasn't just the appointment of the Special Master that Canon got wrong. She had no jurisdiction to begin with. She took that case by ruling she had "equitable jurisdiction" which the 11th circuit later ruled was just flat out incorrect.