Judge Aileen Cannon has indefinitely postponed former President Donald Trump’s classified documents trial in Florida due to significant issues around classified evidence that need to be addressed before the case can go to a jury. The trial date has been cancelled, and no new date has been set, potentially pushing the trial closer to the 2024 election or beyond. The legal disputes that Cannon must decide before the case can proceed to a jury will take at least until late July of this year.
There are eight substantive pending motions that the judge has yet to decide, and she believes that the national security mishandling allegations in the case present novel and difficult questions. While all parties agree that the case won’t be ready for trial in May, prosecutors pushed for a July trial date, while Trump and his co-defendants proposed dates in August and September. Trump’s attorneys have argued that a trial before the election would be unfair.
The delayed trial could also lead to Trump’s two federal cases colliding. In Washington, DC, Trump is facing charges related to alleged crimes committed during his presidency to reverse the 2020 election results. This case has been on pause while the Supreme Court considers Trump’s claims of sweeping immunity, with a decision expected by July. In the Florida case, Trump is charged with mishandling classified documents and obstructing the Justice Department’s investigation.
Judge Cannon will hold a hearing on Trump’s request for records from the Biden administration, starting on June 24 and lasting three days. This move is seen as a win for Trump, as it provides him and his attorneys with a platform to air unfounded theories about the prosecution being politically motivated. Attorneys for the special counsel have denied allegations of bias and opposed the hearing as unnecessary. Another hearing is scheduled for June 21 on Trump’s claims that the special counsel was unlawfully appointed.
Trump has argued that he is entitled to records from various federal agencies, including from President Biden’s White House, as part of his defense. The special counsel’s office has called Trump’s theories baseless and his discovery request frivolous. The defense lawyers’ arguments for the requested hearing have fallen short of the high threshold required for such a proceeding. The case continues to develop with additional information being added to the story.
