Staff Reports
During a hearing on Wednesday, a federal judge in Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon, indicated a possible inclination to delay the start of Donald Trump's trial related to classified documents. She cited several reasons for this consideration, including the multiple ongoing criminal cases against the former president and the substantial volume of evidence that the defense team needs to review.
The trial in question pertains to allegations that Trump concealed classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructed the government's efforts to recover them. The trial is currently scheduled for May 20, 2024. However, Judge Cannon appeared to be sympathetic to Trump's attorneys' request for a postponement, expressing doubts about the feasibility of the current trial schedule. Prosecutors, on the other hand, urged the judge to maintain the original trial start date.
Judge indicates she may delay Trump trial on charges he hid classified documents at Mar-a-Lago https://t.co/valj3hQnnI I told you she will make sure he wins
— Bob south florida water man 🇺🇸 (@WaterDean) November 2, 2023
This classified documents case is just one of four legal battles that Trump may face trial for in the next year. Special counsel Jack Smith's team has also filed another federal case against Trump, accusing him of scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, with that trial scheduled for March in Washington. There may also be a trial in Georgia on state charges related to Trump's alleged efforts to subvert the election, as well as a New York trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal a hush money payment made to a porn actor before the 2016 election. In addition to these criminal cases, Trump is involved in a civil case in New York alleging business fraud.
Judge Cannon emphasized the vast amount of evidence provided by prosecutors to the defense in the Mar-a-Lago case, including 1.3 million pages of documents and extensive security video footage. She questioned whether Trump's lawyers would have enough time to adequately review this evidence over the next six months. Prosecutors argued that Trump's attorneys have consistently sought a delay until after the November 2024 election, but they urged the judge not to let the Washington trial dictate the schedule for the Mar-a-Lago case.
The judge will announce her decision regarding the trial date in the coming days. The outcome of this decision will have a significant impact on the timing of Trump's legal proceedings.
