A deluge of over 1,000 complaints from anti-Trump activists against a Trump-appointed federal judge has triggered an order blocking receipt of any further complaints with the same allegations.
The U.S. Court of Appeals chief judge for the 11th Circuit has blocked further duplicate complaints in the alleged "orchestrated campaign" against the judge presiding over the criminal case involving classified documents against former President Trump.
In a just-released order dated May 22, Chief William Pryor instructed the circuit court clerk to stop accepting new complaints against U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon after the clerk was flooded with duplicate complaints.
Judge Cannon was appointed by President Trump in 2020. Before that, she had served as a federal prosecutor.
Pryor is a former Attorney General of Alabama (R-Mobile). He was appointed to the 11th Circuit by then-President George W. Bush. In the order blocking receipt of further complaints, Pryor stated:
“Since May 16, 2024, the clerk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has received over 1,000 judicial complaints against Judge Cannon that raise allegations that are substantially similar to the allegations raised in previous complaints. These complaints appear to be part of an orchestrated campaign.”
Judiciary rules enable a judicial council in each federal circuit to act when “many essentially identical complaints” flood in. The council can instruct the circuit clerk “to accept only a certain number of such complaints for filing and to refuse to accept additional complaints.”
Judge Pryor recommended to the council that it instruct the clerk to stop taking additional complaints against Judge Cannon, and the council adopted the recommendation. Judge Pryor entered the new order on behalf of the council.
Federal law allows citizens to file complaints against federal judges over judicial misconduct, which includes treating litigants “in a demonstrably egregious and hostile manner” and “making inappropriately partisan statements.” Misconduct cannot involve questioning the correctness of a judge’s ruling or complaints about delays.
“Although many of the complaints allege an improper motive in delaying the case, the allegations are speculative and unsupported by any evidence,” Judge Pryor’s order said. “The complaints also do not establish that Judge Cannon was required to recuse herself from the case because she was appointed by then-President Trump.”
Judge Cannon’s final orders and those of all federal district court judges are subject to review by the appellate court of appeals.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama. He writes about Alabama people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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