Judge Aileen Cannon did not dismiss the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump based on ‘unconstitutional vagueness,’ but hinted that the case may nonetheless be dismissed for other legal reasons.
On Thursday, Judge Cannon denied the motion to dismiss based on phrases in the statute that Trump’s legal team claimed were “unconstitutionally vague,” including the terms “unauthorized possession,” “relating to the national defense,” and “entitled to receive.” Cannon has yet to rule on the other motion presented during the hearing, which seeks to dismiss the case under the Presidential Records Act.
“Although the Motion raises various arguments warranting serious consideration, the Court ultimately determines, following lengthy oral argument, that resolution of the overall question presented depends too greatly on contested instructional questions about still-fluctuating definitions of statutory terms/phrases as charged, along with at least some disputed factual issues as raised in the Motion,” the ruling stated.
NEW: As expected, Judge Cannon just denied Trump’s motion to dismiss on unconstitutional vagueness of Espionage Act motion, one of two motions debated today.
She repeatedly asked whether some of the unclear definitions instead should be resolved in jury instructions pic.twitter.com/068JhzKgcx
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) March 14, 2024