The 11th Circuit Judicial Council, which oversees lower courts in Florida, has decided to stop accepting complaints about Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the federal criminal case against Donald Trump. The council made this decision after receiving more than 1,000 complaints since May 16, 2024, that seemed to be part of an “orchestrated campaign.” The complaints mostly criticized Cannon for her delays in issuing rulings and questioned the motives behind those delays. The council found that many of these complaints were unsupported by evidence or repeat accusations of previous complaints.
The onslaught of complaints against Cannon started after she indefinitely postponed the start of the trial in the Trump case, where he is accused of mishandling classified documents. The complaints included calls for the 11th Circuit Court’s Chief Judge William Pryor to remove Cannon from the case, but the council stated that neither Pryor nor the council had the authority to do so. Pryor reviewed and dismissed some of the complaints due to lack of evidence of misconduct by Cannon. It remains unclear what prompted the flood of complaints after May 16 and why they were all directed at Cannon.
The judicial council’s opinion pointed out that many of the complaints against Cannon were repetitive and lacked evidence to support the allegations made against her. The council ordered the court clerk to stop accepting complaints that were similar to those received after May 16. The complaints raised concerns about the correctness of Cannon’s rulings and the delays in issuing them, but the council found that they did not meet the threshold for judicial misconduct. As a result, the council deemed these complaints as part of an orchestrated campaign and decided not to entertain them any further.
Despite the calls for Cannon’s removal from the classified documents case, Chief Judge Pryor and the judicial council have confirmed that they do not have the authority to take such action. Pryor reviewed the complaints against Cannon and determined that they did not provide sufficient evidence of misconduct. As a result, the council’s order to stop accepting complaints about Cannon stands, and any further complaints will not be entertained. The decision to dismiss the complaints was made in light of the repetitive nature of the allegations and the lack of evidence to support them.
The complaints against Judge Aileen Cannon in the federal criminal case against Donald Trump have been deemed part of an orchestrated campaign by the 11th Circuit Judicial Council. The council found that many of the complaints raised similar allegations without evidence to support them, particularly regarding Cannon’s delays in issuing rulings. Chief Judge Pryor reviewed and dismissed some of the complaints due to the lack of evidence of misconduct by Cannon. The council has ordered the court clerk to stop accepting similar complaints and will not entertain any further complaints against Cannon in the Trump case.
