(Politics): Trial of Donald Trump’s Classified Documents Case to Begin in May 2024

 

The federal judge presiding over the criminal trial of Donald Trump on charges he mishandled classified documents scheduled the trial to begin in May, rejecting the former president's request to postpone the trial indefinitely.

The move sets up a seismic political event after many states have held their presidential primary contests, but before the general election in November.

Judge Aileen Cannon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled that Trump’s trial will begin on May 20, 2024.

The scheduling, however, is also a partial defeat for Justice Department prosecutors, led by special counsel Jack Smith, who had argued for the trial to start in mid-December of this year, which would have likely meant a verdict before many GOP presidential primary voters went to the polls early next year.

Cannon initially set a nominal trial date for August, though that date was always expected to change. She said her decision to push the trial to May of next year was based on the sheer amount of evidence in the case and the complexity of handling some of the classified documents involved, but also noted that there was not “sufficient basis” to hold off on scheduling the trial indefinitely.

“As a preliminary matter, the Court rejects Defendants’ request to withhold setting of a schedule now; the Court deems it necessary to manage this proceeding through important stages of discovery, CIPA briefing, motion practice, and trial, and does not see a sufficient basis on this record to postpone entry of a scheduling order,” Cannon said in the order, referencing several procedural steps involved in bringing the case to trial.

“Nevertheless, the Government’s proposed schedule is atypically accelerated and inconsistent with ensuring a fair trial,” she wrote, noting that the evidence includes more than 1.1 million non-classified documents, as well as video footage and classified materials.

“By conservative estimates, the amount of discovery in this case is voluminous and likely to increase in the normal course as trial approaches,” Cannon wrote. “And, while the Government has taken steps to organize and filter the extensive discovery, no one disagrees that Defendants need adequate time to review and evaluate it on their own accord.”

Cannon’s order laid out dates for a number of pre-trial hearings and filing deadlines over the next 10 months, ending with a jury trial beginning on May 20.

Trump is facing 37 felony counts related to the illegal retention of classified documents and obstruction of justice. The charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal and making false statements.

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