I know much less about the federal system than the State of California, but my understanding is that the body that gaveth can taketh away. IOW, Congress can impeach her and remove her from her position. You can calculate the odds of that happening without my help, I’m sure.
In terms of local control, meaning the district for which she performs, there is no ability to remove her. The Eleventh can intervene to undo some damage she does with her rulings. But that brings us to your second question:
No. The timing of when the prosecution can appeal Cannon’s loony rulings and be heard is very limited. Once a jury is empaneled and sworn in to hear the case, jeopardy attaches and the prosecution must live or die with whatever rulings Cannon makes.
Even with all we’ve seen and heard and my certainty that Cannon is not an objective or impartial judge, she still has a lot of latitude. She’s been very canny with her rulings – almost cute. She gives Trump and his team the space to float their crazy theories, hears them as though they have merit. Then she does what any other judge could do in far less time and with far less fanfare and rules more or less within the norm. But the damage is done: She lends credence to the crazy theories and delays the prosecution. Unfortunately, that’s not a basis for her removal from the case.
For example, she’s going to deny Trump’s motion to remove Jack Smith. But she sure spent a lot of time hearing garbage arguments about how he might-just-could-be in league with the Biden Administration and Merrick Garland to facilitate the prosecution of this case, didn’t she? That’s complete bullshit, but it fits right in with the MAGA-world narrative conspiracy theory. Did her damage but there will be nothing to appeal.
The big fear is that Cannon will shepherd the case through a jury being sworn, let Smith put on his case and then before the defense does their bit, grant a defense motion for a directed verdict and dismiss the case on the grounds that it was “unproven.” To those paying attention, this would be an enormous travesty of justice. What MAGA and their cohort count on is that most people don’t pay attention. End of case, no avenue of appeal. Poof, all gone, no accountability at all for one of the greatest crimes ever committed against this nation.
Because this is what is at stake, I do believe Smith is going to make a hail Mary effort at the last possible moment to have her recused, and I think he may have about a 25% shot at success. He won’t be worse off for trying. She couldn’t be more biased than she already is.
You’re right. It’s terrifying.
In fact, I think she cares a great deal. Just not about justice.
It’s hard to know what motivates Cannon, but if I had to guess, I think she’s a True Believer™. She really seems completely taken in by the MAGA narrative of conspiracy theories about Biden and the Left. She thinks she’s doing God’s work and doesn’t recognize that she’s pursuing a dangerous agenda.
I guess we’ll see what happens. I just think it’s important to recognize that we do have rogue judges doing real damage to our judicial system. We should call them out for what they are when they show themselves, as Cannon has done.
