Who is Aileen Cannon, the judge in Trump's documents case?
Her national profile saw a huge boost after she OK'd the former president's request for a special master last year


When the FBI first uncovered a host of classified materials at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence last summer, it was Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, who OK'd the appointment of a "special master," or an independent arbiter tasked with reviewing the seized materials. Now, almost a year later, Cannon has been once again tapped to preside over proceedings in the debacle, which has since escalated into a federal indictment of Trump over alleged violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice, among other charges.
But Cannon's appointment could serve as a silver lining for the former president, who seemed to "win the judicial lottery" when the Southern District of Florida's random "computerized assignment system" assigned him a judge whose previous "pro-Trump" rulings were described by legal experts as "audacious and even lawless," Politico reported. Now, she "will be in an even more powerful position to steer Trump's legal fortunes."
Getting started
Cannon, 41, had "relatively little experience as a lawyer" and almost no public profile when nominated by Trump and then confirmed by the Senate in November of 2020, The Guardian reported. Having graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 2007, her appointment to "the federal bench came only 12 years after she was first admitted to practice law, the minimum experience the American Bar Association requires nominees should have." Before that, from 2013 to 2020, she served as a federal prosecutor in Fort Pierce, Florida, where she "handled major crimes, including drug, firearm and immigration cases," per The Washington Post.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On the bench, however, she has overseen just "four relatively routine criminal trials," Politico stated in June, a "stark contrast" to the "historic and complex proceedings" she's about to undertake with Trump. Her limited criminal experience pertains almost exclusively to cases regarding the distribution of controlled substances, "illegal reentry of people who had previously been deported, felons in possession of firearms, and child pornography or trafficking." Almost every one of these cases has resulted in a plea deal, and those that didn't "lasted no more than three days apiece in court."
As for her legislative ethos, Cannon has been described as "thorough, meticulous and often willing to rule against the government," The New York Times reported last year, per defense lawyer Valentin Rodriguez Jr. "The general feeling that I've gotten from her is, 'I don't buy everything the government has to tell me,'" Rodriguez told the Times. "In that sense, you could call her something of a freethinker." In her responses to the Judiciary Committee, she described herself as an "originalist" and a "textualist" — ideals "long identified with conservative judges" — but noted that she would follow precedents set by Supreme Court and appellate court rulings, wrote Russell Berman in The Atlantic.
Trump ties
When Cannon initially ruled to grant Trump a special master to review the documents seized from his private residence, the decision "drew scrutiny from experts" who "questioned her legal reasoning and criticized some of the language in her opinion about what rights a former president is entitled to," the Times stated. And with those early rulings still top of mind, many fear she will once again hand Trump an easy victory or at least push the verdict his way.
But some Democratic lawyers who have appeared before Cannon in the past say "she is a smarter, more deliberate and more even-handed judge than the early criticism of her would suggest," Berman wrote for The Atlantic. "I think the government should be very happy that they have Judge Cannon," Richard Klugh, a defense attorney and purported lifelong Democrat, told the outlet. "She's confident enough to go through things independently."
While there's no guarantee Cannon will remain on Trump's case — many have called on her to recuse herself — she will, while assigned, have "broad authority" to control almost "every aspect" of the proceedings, The Guardian noted, "including which evidence is admissible, the ability to slow down or speed up proceedings, and even the legal viability of the justice department's case." The trial is currently set to begin as early as Aug. 14, though that date could change as things develop.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Test driving the Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge
The Week Recommends We take the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever built for a spin in Barcelona
By Fergus Scholes Published
-
Tuberculosis is seeing a resurgence, and it's only going to get worse
Under the radar The spread of the deadly infection is buoyed by global unrest
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 3, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Detentions and hostile treatment: is it safe to visit the US?
The Explainer Spate of interrogations and deportations at US border sparking decline in overseas visitors
By The Week UK Published
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grab
Speed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail
Speed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Law firms: Caving to White House pressure
Feature Trump targets major law firms tied to his past investigations
By The Week US Published
-
Rule of law: Are we in a constitutional crisis?
Feature Donald Trump defies federal court order to halt deportation flights to El Salvador
By The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why does Donald Trump want Greenland?
The Explainer Trump is not the only US president who has tried to gain control of Greenland
By The Week UK Published