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U.S. Supreme Court

Jul. 29, 2024

Judicial misstep: How a technicality on special counsel’s appointment could undermine justice

The court found that Special Counsel was not an “inferior officer” under the Appointments Clause, as opposed to a “principal officer” requiring Presidential nomination and Senatorial consent. The court also noted that the Special Counsel’s powers were broader than a traditional U.S. Attorney as he is permitted to exercise his investigatory powers across multiple districts within the same investigation.

Philip M. Howe

Howe is a member of the California and Massachusetts State Bars, having last practiced in California in 2019.

The New York Times

Judicial misstep: How a technicality on special counsel’s appointment could undermine justice

On July 15, 2024, Judge Aileen Cannon of the U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, FL dismissed the Indictment against Donald J. Trump because Special Counsel Jack Smith’s appointment violated the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

United States of America v. Donald Trump,...

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