On September 5th, 2022, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointed judge, granted Trump’s request for a special master to review records seized by the FBI during its search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, thus delaying the DOJ’s investigation into the alleged actions of the former president and blocking their review of seized documents. In response, on September 8th, the DOJ appealed Judge Cannon’s order, citing the delay of review could be a threat to our national security. On September 15th, Judge Cannon declined to lift any part of the order, and a special master was appointed to review documents from the Mar-a-Lago search.

So what is a special master? Is a special master appropriate in this situation? In this episode, host Craig Williams joins guest, Stanford Law professor David Alan Sklansky, faculty co-director at Stanford Criminal Justice Center, as they discuss this ruling, its potential impact, and the role of a special master.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Judge Cannon’s Ruling

A Pattern of Violence: How the Law Classifies Crimes and What It Means for Justice