Trump classified documents case: Special counsel appeals dismissal decision

• Jack Smith, special counsel, urged the federal appeals court to reverse the dismissal of the criminal classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.
• U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled in favor of Trump by striking down the case against him, stating that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional.

On Monday, Jack Smith, special counsel, urged a federal appeals court to overturn a lower court's decision to dismiss the criminal case against former President Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents.

In July, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled against the case, stating that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional.

In Monday's court brief, Smith contended that Cannon's decision deviated from established legal precedent, misinterpreted the laws that allow for the appointment of special counsels, and failed to adequately consider the history of those appointments.

Smith argued in a filing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit that Cannon's ruling conflicts with a series of decisions, including those by the Supreme Court, which grant the U.S. attorney general the authority to appoint special counsels.

"This Court should reverse," Smith wrote.

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