Star Tribune
Special counsel Smith asks court to pause appeal seeking to revive Trump’s classified documents case
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith asked a court Wednesday to pause prosecutors’ appeal seeking to revive the classified documents case against President-elect Donald Trump in light of the Republican’s presidential victory.
Smith’s team has been evaluating how to wind down the classified documents and the federal 2020 election interference case in Washington before Trump takes office because of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.
The case accusing Trump of hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate had been seen as the most legally clear-cut of the four indictments against Trump, given the breadth of evidence that prosecutors say they had accumulated. That included the testimony of close aides and former lawyers, and because the conduct at issue occurred after Trump left the White House in 2021 and lost the powers of the presidency.
But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July, ruling that Smith was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. Smith had appealed her ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before Trump’s presidential win last week over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Prosecutors asked the 11th Circuit in a court filing Wednesday to pause the appeal to ”afford the Government time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy.” Smith’s team said it would ”inform the Court of the result of its deliberations” no later than Dec. 2.
The judge overseeing the federal case in Washington accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election canceled all upcoming deadlines in the case last week after Smith’s team made a similar request.
Smith is expected to leave his post before Trump takes office, but special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, and it remains unclear when such a document might be released.
A sign with the rules for dogs is displayed at the entrance to Purgatory Park in Minnetonka on Tuesday. (Renée Jones Schneider)
During public comment periods on the park plan, officials heard from residents who urged them to allow dogs off leash throughout the park, saying it provides a crucial exercise opportunity for both the animals and their humans. Others said they’d had problems with dog bites or dogs running into neighboring yards.
“We’ve heard from residents all over the city that they do go to Purgatory [Park] for the beautiful nature and to let their dogs run off leash,” said Matt Kumka, the city’s park and trail project manager. And, he added, “We heard that some folks did have unwanted interactions with dogs at times.”
In a meeting late last month, council members began discussing whether they want to allow retractable leashes and, if so, if they should max out at 6 feet long or 20 feet. Council Member Deb Calvert suggested retractable leashes could be especially helpful for older adults, who might not be able to walk as fast or far as other dog owners.
“They’re losing what was their dog park, and I feel like we need to toss a proverbial bone in their direction,” Calvert said during the council meeting last month.
The council also appears poised to create an advisory group to help decide which areas of the park should be open to off-leash dogs and whether those spots should be marked by signs or fences.
If the mayor and council approve the new proposals, Kumka said officials don’t necessarily expect an increase in citations but that “it would improve clarity regarding the expectations of behavior and a bit more of an opportunity to provide education for the folks in the parks.”
This was the second time in roughly the past 17 months that Griffen has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. In July 2023, he was stopped in Chanhassen and accused of driving 60 mph in a 40 mph zone. His blood-alcohol content was 0.09%. Griffen pleaded guilty to a reduced careless driving charge in February and was placed on a year’s probation.
In the months following that allegation, Griffen crashed his car into a fence and gazebo in Mound on Oct. 28, 2023. He was cited and convicted of failure to drive with due care, a petty misdemeanor. On Dec. 7, 2023, in Shakopee, police stopped Griffen for driving 55 mph in a 30 mph zone. He was convicted of a petty misdemeanor in that case as well.
Griffen called 911 shortly after 3 a.m. from his Minnetrista home on Nov. 24, 2021, saying someone was with him, and he needed help. He also told the dispatcher he fired one round from a gun, but no one was wounded, police said. They added no intruder was found.
The same day, Griffen had posted, then deleted, a video on Instagram saying people were trying to kill him as he held a gun in his hand. He was alone inside the house, with police outside, until he emerged and agreed to be taken for treatment.
Griffen also spent four weeks undergoing mental health treatment in 2018 after two incidents that September — one at the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis, the other at his home — that prompted police involvement. He later revealed he lived in a sober house for the remainder of the 2018 season.
On Facebook, North Shore residents have been keeping track. He’d been spotted on London Road. He was on 61 by the Knife River Bridge. He was at the Lake Breeze Motel on Congdon Road. There were Bo Peep jokes. “Sheepers!” someone exclaimed. “RUN BRAD RUN!” someone else urged.
Nobody knows how a sheep ended up by his lonesome along the North Shore. Nobody has claimed him and there aren’t any significant sheep operations in the area.
Travis Hoffman, a sheep specialist and associate professor at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, (whose phone number ends with 2222, or “Baaa,” he said, no kidding), said that judging by photos posted on social media, Brad the sheep is young, maybe a year or so old. He looks like he was last sheared about six months ago. His breed wasn’t immediately apparent. He could be a Shetland or a Romeldale, or possibly a cross-breed. An identifying ear tag that could trace his origins appears to be missing.
All sheep need, he said, is grass and water, so as long as Brad can forage, he’ll be fine.
Hoffman offered advice for would-be sheep nabbers. A lone sheep will see humans as predators and will move away from them. So if you want a sheep to go right, approach from the left. (This could be useful, as you never know where livestock will turn up. When I was a teenager in Plymouth, I came home to find a pig sleeping by our house.)
Get the sheep into a fenced-in backyard or into a garage, he advised. Don’t try anything goofy like pulling on a fleece and getting onto all fours (my idea). A well-trained sheep dog could round up Brad in a hurry. Also, as sheep like to hang out in flocks, a few bait sheep might entice him into a pen.
