Donald J. Trump, the former President of the United States and Republican presidential candidate, delivered a speech at the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida on July 15, 2023.
Image Credit: Marco Bello | Reuters
A federal judge has ordered that the trial of former President Donald Trump on charges of mishandling classified documents will commence on May 20, 2024.
Judge Aileen Cannon issued the schedule after receiving arguments from the defense team, who proposed delaying the trial until after the November 2024 presidential election, citing Trump’s status as a current candidate. The trial will be held at the U.S. District Court in Fort Pierce, Florida.
By setting the trial date for May 2024, Judge Cannon struck a balance between the requests of Trump’s legal team and the Department of Justice, which had pushed for a trial in late 2023.
Polls indicate that Trump is currently the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican primary. If the trial proceeds as scheduled, it would occur after several key states have already held their nominating contests. The Republican National Convention, where the GOP will select its presidential nominee, is set to take place in Milwaukee in mid-July 2024.
In response to the judge’s order, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign criticized the Department of Justice, stating that “Today’s order by Judge Cannon is a major setback to the DOJ’s crusade to deny President Trump a fair legal process.” The statement also suggested, without providing evidence, that the Biden administration initiated the criminal case to hinder Trump’s chances in the 2024 election.
Todd Blanche, Trump’s attorney, declined to comment on the judge’s ruling.
Last month, Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal counts related to his possession of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021 and subsequent alleged attempts to conceal them from the government. Walt Nauta, Trump’s valet and co-defendant, also pleaded not guilty to six criminal charges.
Judge Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, previously faced scrutiny for ruling in his favor in a separate legal dispute involving classified records.
During a hearing on Tuesday, Judge Cannon expressed skepticism towards both parties’ requests. Her seven-page ruling today noted that both the prosecutors and the defendants agreed on delaying the trial from its original August 14 start date. However, she rejected the defendants’ request to withhold setting a schedule at this time and deemed the DOJ’s proposal to start the trial in December “atypically accelerated and inconsistent with ensuring a fair trial.”
The judge acknowledged the significant amount of evidence involved in the case, including over 1.1 million pages of records, months of camera footage, and classified documents that are yet to be disclosed. Given the nature of the case involving classified information, she emphasized the need for thorough review “under appropriate safeguards and following resolution of pending logistics.”
Judge Cannon’s schedule outlined numerous procedural deadlines leading up to the trial in spring 2024. The next set of deadlines pertains to the handling of classified information, with the government required to provide relevant classified documents to the defense in discovery by September 7.
This case in Florida represents the first instance of a current or former president facing criminal charges from the federal government. However, it is the second set of criminal charges Trump has faced since his latest White House bid, and there may be more to come.
In New York, Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to an alleged hush money scheme aimed at suppressing allegations of extramarital affairs.
Meanwhile, District Attorney Fani Willis from Atlanta has indicated that she could seek indictments in her investigation into attempts by Trump and his allies to interfere in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election, which he ultimately lost to President Joe Biden.
Jack Smith, the special counsel leading the federal investigation into the classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s home in Florida, is also spearheading a separate probe into the events of January 6, 2021, involving the transfer of presidential power. This criminal investigation appears to be progressing rapidly, as Trump revealed on Tuesday that he has been informed he is a target of the special counsel’s inquiry.
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