Over the next 40 years, that turned out to be true. The prosecutor did always gloss something over, or dwell too long on some obscure detail or overreach on some ruling. More than a few “unwinnable” cases ended in acquittals. But no guilty defendant has ever received more help from his prosecutors than President-elect Donald Trump.

Smith is still fighting the judge's decision to dismiss Trump's indictment, although he has dropped the classified documents case.