# FBI Search and Seizure at Trump's Mar-A-Lago Residence, August 8, 2022, Case Dismissed July 15, 2024 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 8, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329 "2022-08-08T23:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 270
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5381 "2023-06-10T00:53:10Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Documents stolen from Washington DC. Stored and moved and hidden and lied about and covered with blankets, Florida. Bedminister, New Jersey?? Oh, all that happened there was we showed them off a little bit. See: [Why Is Trump Being Indicted in Florida](https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/why-is-trump-being-indicted-in-florida-venue) > [@](#): > > . . . the gravamen of the activity in the case—the storing, hoarding material at Mar-a-Lago; the obstructions of the federal investigation; to showing the documents to people—all appear to have taken place in South Florida. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5382 "2023-06-10T00:56:54Z")
Yes, I’m not troubled about why he’s been charged in Florida. For all I care, they can charge him in Florida for the coverup, charge him in DC for the theft, and charge him in NJ for showing the stolen shit off. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5383 "2023-06-10T01:02:51Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I think it was the author/ghostwriter of Mark Meadow’s book, whoever that is. There was one passage from the indictment that made me think of your comparisons in the past to a mob boss who doesn’t say exactly what he wants his people to do, but makes it clear what he wants. Trump Attorney 1 told the investigators: > He made a funny motion as though … well okay why don’t you take them with you to your hotel room and if there’s anything really bad in there, like, you know, pluck it out. And that was the motion that he made. He didn’t say that. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5384 "2023-06-10T01:05:03Z")
“Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest…” ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5385 "2023-06-10T01:07:46Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > The one thing in the indictment that cracked me up was when a Trump employee, texting about the boxes of papers that Trump wanted kept out of storage as the “beautiful mind paper boxes”. I assume he was being sarcastic. I thought the same thing. My favorite part was paragraph 18, noting that _some_ presidents are granted the courtesy of ongoing access to top secret documents, with a waiver of the “need to know” requirement, but this was not extended to him. Left unstated was the fact that, since presidents started getting top secret daily briefings, he’s the _only one_ who wasn’t granted that courtesy. It’s, of course, completely understood, but it’s also a great “fuck you” from Joe Biden, the silent assassin. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5386 "2023-06-10T01:28:39Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > So the best way they figure to get ahead of it, is to show how not rigged it is. Put it in the place that would be friendliest to him. Put it in front of a judge who has shown a clear bias in his favor. Do all that, and still get a conviction. Do all you can to convince anyone but the most die-hard Trump cultists that he was convicted fairly and solely based on the facts and evidence. Not only that, I think it also burns her as a resource for Trump to use. She’s his one and only friend in the justice system and she can mess around if she wants to find out but I’m pretty sure any attempt she makes to help him in the short term will only come back and hurt both of them in the long term. She gains nothing from trying to help Trump. He does not repay favors, has zero respect for women and may well end up randomly declaring her public enemy number one if and when he is having a bad day. If she was smart, she’d recuse herself and not get anywhere near this case. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5387 "2023-06-10T01:40:03Z")
So, all this talk about Cannon is in the passive voice: “Cannon was assigned”. But who assigned her? What’s the process for picking which of the eligible judges in the circuit would get the case? Is there some administrator-judge who does all the assignments? Do the five of them (I think someone upthread said there were five of them) all get together, one calls “dibs”, and the others all say “OK, makes sense”? Do they draw cases on slips of paper out of a hat? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5388 "2023-06-10T01:44:06Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > If she was smart, she’d recuse herself and not get anywhere near this case. On what grounds does she recuse herself though? “He appointed me” sounds shaky, as it shouldn’t be a barrier to being an impartial judge. She’d have to admit to some sort of familiarity or closeness with Trump that would tarnish her whole reputation. “I’m a huge fan girl” is embarrassing. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5389 "2023-06-10T02:08:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But who assigned her? What’s the process for picking which of the eligible judges in the circuit would get the case? As I understand it, it’s a random assignment. The clerk enters the case into the system, and it gets assigned to a judge. As I said in the other thread about his indictment, I’m not sure that this woman is completely in the bag for donald. Lots of his appointees have ruled against him, and as I understand it her “assistance” was appointing a special master to review documents - that sounds to me like somebody looking for somebody else to make a decision: in my opinion, a sign of inexperience more than maliciousness. It’s not that much effort for a judge to let the prosecutor prosecute and the jury decide and let the chips fall where they may. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5390 "2023-06-10T02:10:03Z")
Smith was able to appeal and get the special master overturned fairly quickly. I’m sure he has this gamed out and has an answer for every conceivable move. I’m more concerned with what the judge could toss out or allow in the case. Once again I’m sure mr smith has that gamed out as well. Smith is very prepared and has been very impressive so far. Crazy thing though, Corcoran is still on trump’s legal team for Jan 6. > **['That Is Incorrect': Special Counsel Swats Down Claim by Donald Trump's...](https://lawandcrime.com/trump/that-is-incorrect-special-counsel-swats-down-claim-by-donald-trumps-lawyers-that-rudy-giuliani-case-empowers-judge-in-mar-a-lago-probe/)** > > Donald Trump's legal team claimed that Rudy Giuliani's special master case empowered a judge to pause the DOJ's investigati of documents seized from Mar-a-Lago. Lest we forget smith’s slam down from the Netherlands while recovering from a broken leg. He has healed and he is in the states, he can smash through bad rulings even faster. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5391 "2023-06-10T02:46:44Z")
So anyone have any thoughts as to what Trump’s defense in this case is going to be? Publicly its all going to be about witch hunts, Biden is worse, and I have no doubt that that the words witch hunt will play a strong role in the opening and closing arguments of the defense, but that doesn’t have any real bearing on the facts of the case that will be presented by the prosecution. So does Trump have any real case that can be made in his defense? Or is he going to try the same strategy that failed him in the Jean Carroll case, not present a defense, and rely on a hope that there is a MAGAbot on the jury. Another question. Suppose worst comes to worst, Cannon messes up the voir dare, and there is a hung jury. If Smith decides to retry who would be the judge? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5392 "2023-06-10T03:10:47Z")
As usual irony raises its purty lil’ head here once again. > **[Fact Check: Did Trump sign into law felony for which he's indicted?](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-indicted-classified-documents-felony-1805561)** > > Trump announced on Thursday that he was being indicted over an investigation into classified documents. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5393 "2023-06-10T03:12:02Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > As I understand it, it’s a random assignment. The clerk enters the case into the system, and it gets assigned to a judge. This has been brought up before, so it’s worth noting that there actually was a bit of forum shopping on the Trump side of things. There is an element of randomness involved but it’s not the case that the selection is _uniformly_ random. There is more than 1 district and court within the 11th Circuit and filing in some districts can make it more likely that some judges will be selected. It’s not 100% so still an element of randomness but still very likely to go a certain way. That was _last year_. And now that the investigation has led to indictment, the initial assignment, as noted in the various articles on the last day or so, note that it is not surprising that it would go to a judge that was involved before. So, the initial forum shopping from last year has borne at least some fruit. Note these articles from last year about this > **[“The more we learn, the worse things look”: Court error exposes judge's...](https://www.salon.com/2022/10/06/the-more-we-learn-the-worse-things-look-error-exposes-judges-obvious-sympathy/)** > > Judge Aileen Cannon's descriptions of potentially privileged documents are in stark contrast with the actual docs. > **[‘Deeply Problematic’: Experts Question Judge’s Intervention in Trump Inquiry...](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/05/us/trump-special-master-aileen-cannon.html?unlocked_article_code=_Eaqn5YSz2T-iXnNJTohLKAz3W2mVphbSm9PxBKCneiltMTw5atBqf6i9pkXm0IneQlMhK_--E1aILXa-ardY7B5JBR8mQr3bo-jrjtqauUegpj5ygLxIi0Cv9Kaj5Ye-BekdZe3SOILMgH0qxmhkR6dOkOyfWM9Xiz4C9qDnsvk4kegZ1zvKxxU3FqlzGLCC9hZ9P5Z5YJ79bzY5yUxm1BIbW365_VQpKjT3vQDKQ9yBDZfdNlzVEmrwbN4CzQ_KJONq4XfmuGOfHSwqW7JEM50P6BBzrd8ME3r7ztd53iemAyLnlFD3n-f4Ytndvs9uZ0iUmmO8psvjphXwdbpVAsRvz5W9A_n&smid=url-share)** > > A ruling by a judge appointed by former President Donald J. Trump surprised specialists and could slow the documents investigation. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5394 "2023-06-10T04:04:41Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > as I understand it her “assistance” was appointing a special master to review documents… It was a lot more than that. See the [Slate article](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/06/aileen-cannon-federal-prosecution-donald-trump.html) I linked above (post 5328) for how far beyond the rule of law she went. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5395 "2023-06-10T04:20:45Z")
[Ben Meiselis](https://youtu.be/i9BUPk9PmIM) isn’t worried, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5396 "2023-06-10T04:26:00Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > On what grounds does she recuse herself though? Anything she can think of. I don’t know how you say “I don’t want to step on this here landmine” in Latin but I’m sure there must be a term for it. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5397 "2023-06-10T04:28:46Z")
This article has a good discussion of what led to the conspiracy charge and why that’s the most severe charge Trump is facing. > The former president is in grave legal jeopardy. These are major crimes that carry life-ruining penalties. Smith’s ironclad allegations of a criminal conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation are not a mere afterthought to this indictment. They are an independent and dire threat to Donald Trump. > **[The Most Damning Part of the Trump Indictment](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/06/trump-indictment-criminal-conspiracy-charges-explained.html)** > > The former president is in grave legal jeopardy. These are major crimes that carry life-ruining penalties. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5398 "2023-06-10T04:36:45Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > I don’t know how you say “I don’t want to step on this here landmine” in Latin but I’m sure there must be a term for it. _Nolo ut step in hac captionem_ ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5399 "2023-06-10T04:49:33Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Here’s a depressing read: “If [Cannon] maintains her grasp on this case, it is nearly impossible to envision Smith securing a conviction in her courtroom.” Some of the roadblocks she could throw in the way: > > > Cannon can try to rig voir dire to help the defense stack the jury with Trump supporters. She can exclude evidence and testimony that’s especially damning to Trump. She can disqualify witnesses who are favorable to the prosecution. She can sustain the defense’s frivolous objections and overrule the prosecution’s meritorious ones. She can direct a verdict of acquittal to render the jury superfluous. She can declare a mistrial prematurely for any number of reasons, including lengthy juror deliberations, and stretch out various deadlines to run out the clock. Many of these procedural moves could not be appealed until the proceedings have drawn to a close; appeals courts do not referee every little dispute in a jury trial as they happen. > > But it might be possible for the government to request her removal by the 11th Circuit Court, who already overruled her in the previous case. > > > Smith, for his part, has the option of requesting a different judge; 11th Circuit precedent allows reassignment when the presiding judge appears unable to put “previous views and findings aside.” (This is a nice way of saying that they’re in the tank for the defendant.) Trump would surely fight such a request, and it’s impossible to say where the 11th Circuit would come down. > > [Judge Aileen Cannon can sink the federal prosecution of Donald Trump.](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/06/aileen-cannon-federal-prosecution-donald-trump.html) I’m not buying it. In fact I’m quite certain Jack Smith can run circles around a biased, dim-bulb like Aileen Cannon. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2023, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329/5400 "2023-06-10T04:52:48Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > So anyone have any thoughts as to what Trump’s defense in this case is going to be? I’m thinking he will use what I call the Franklin Defense. Franklin is my three year old grandnephew. The Franklin Defense can be summed up in three words. _ **MINE! MINE! MINE!** _ (Lately, Franklin’s granddad (my brother) has been telling him “don’t be a Trump” whenever he exhibits certain behaviors typical of three year olds. Part of me hopes he doesn’t pick it up, and part of me hopes he does.) Seriously, I’m really not sure what defense team Trump will use in court, They may go with the “ he didn’t let anyone look at the stuff too closely, that proves he was a worthy steward of our nation’s most deeply held secrets”, which is sort of laughable. I imagine cases that are this strong are typically plea bargained. Which I’m betting his lawyers advised him to do. No wonder they quit. I’m starting to think, based on the “beautiful mind” quip and the actions of staff and family members, that Trump had a Gollum like obsession with his precious boxes of papers, moving them from hiding place to hiding place - so much that a family member, almost certainly Melania, preemptively told his staff that she wasn’t letting him take his precious boxes of papers on the plane with her. ETA-Seriously, isn’t Trump’s plane a converted commercial airliner? No room for his boxes? How much luggage can one woman have? She was probably just sick of tripping over his precious boxes every time she turned around. ETA 2- I’m just hoping Judge Cannon is a DeSantis gal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329.md?page=269) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-search-and-seizure-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-residence-august-8-2022-case-dismissed-july-15-2024/969329.md?page=271)