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U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, and is now overseeing his document case in southern Florida, graduated from the University of Michigan Law School.
The Colombian-born judge was appointed to the bench in late 2020 after being confirmed by the Senate 57-21. She worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Southern Florida from 2013-2020, and before that, for the firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She also served as a law clerk for federal Court of Appeals Judge Steven Colloton, an appointee of President George W. Bush.
She graduated from undergrad at Duke University in 2003 and earned her law degree at the University of Michigan Law School in 2007. She served as an articles and associate editor of the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform from 2006 to 2007.
Cannon stirred up controversy when she sided with Trump's lawyers who aruged the FBI should not review documents in the case until an independent third party, aka a special master, scrutinized them to make sure there was no violations of attorney-client privilege.
Legal scholars and others including former Attorney General William Barr, criticized the ruling that was later overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals.
She will now preside over Trump's document case. Her critics are concerned that she may show bias in her pre-trial and trial rulings, and during sentencing should Trump be convicted on any or all of the 37 counts.
