1 of 2 | Former President Donald Trump’s attempt to delay the Florida trial over his handling of classified documents was rejected Friday, at least for now. Pool Photo by David Dee Delgado/UPI | License Photo
Former President Donald Trump’s attempt to delay the Florida trial over his handling of classified documents was rejected Friday, at least for now.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, issued an order that the trial will move forward on May 20 as planned. However, she did not completely rule out moving the trial date to avoid scheduling conflicts at a later date. Advertisement
That date would be March 1, when a scheduling conference will be held, Cannon’s order says.
Trump’s attorneys have continued pushing to move the trial until after the 2024 election. Trump is vying for the Republican nomination for re-election while also battling in three other criminal cases, as well as a civil case in New York.
Cannon noted the potential challenges in conducting the trial, particularly in relation to Trump’s federal trial over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in Washington — scheduled for March 4 — and the trial over alleged hush money payments in Manhattan — scheduled for March 25.
“Although the special counsel is correct that the trajectory of these matters potentially remains in flux, the schedules as they currently stand overlap substantially with the deadlines in this case, presenting additional challenges to ensuring defendant Trump has adequate time to prepare for trial and to assist in his defense,” Cannon wrote. Advertisement
The judge also cited the breadth of discovery materials that have been submitted by special counsel Jack Smith. The volume of materials has been greater than initially expected.
Trump’s attorneys have also argued that Smith has been slow to give them access to all of the evidence. Cannon writes that classified discovery became available to the defense “in its complete form” on Oct. 17.
The former president is facing charges related to his alleged mishandling of more than 100 classified documents, including papers containing sensitive information about U.S. national security at his Mar-a-Lago estates in Palm Beach, Fla, after he left office. He has pleaded not guilty.
Donald Trump arraigned on federal charges
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., on June 13, 2023, after appearing at a Miami federal courthouse to face 37 federal charges involving the handling of classified documents. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
