 The judge sided with the defense, claiming the Justice Department illegally appointed the special counsel who brought the charges against the former president. It is a major legal victory for former President Trump. He faced dozens of felony charges in the case, accusing him of improperly storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and refusing to return them. Today, Judge Aileen Cannon ruled the Justice Department's appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violates the appointment clause of the Constitution.