FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) – A Florida federal judge indicated on Wednesday that it could delay the start of the Classified documents trial of Donald Trumpnoting the other criminal cases the former president faces, as well as the reams of evidence his lawyers have to sift through.
Trump’s trial on charges that he hid classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructed government efforts to recover them is currently scheduled for May 20, 2024.
But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon appeared willing to side with Trump’s lawyers in their request to delay the trial, saying she “has a hard time seeing how realistically this (current schedule) would work ),” even as prosecutors pushed her to keep the scheduled start date. .
The classified documents case presented by the team of special counsel Jack Smith is one of four Trump faces that could go to trial next year. Another federal case, also filed by and charged with Smith they planned to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential electionhe is scheduled for trial in March in Washington.
A trial in Georgia state accusations that Trump tried to subvert the election it could also start next year, although there is no set date, as might a trial in New York charged that Trump falsified business records to cover up a payment of money to a porn actor before the 2016 election. He is already on trial for civil case in New York for commercial fraud.
Cannon also pointed to the 1.3 million pages of evidence prosecutors in the Mar-a-Lago case have provided to the defense along with thousands of hours of security video shot at Trump’s compound. He asked whether Trump’s lawyers will have enough time to review the evidence in the next six months.
“I don’t quite see a level of understanding on your part of these realities,” Cannon told prosecutor Jay Bratt, a member of Smith’s team.
Bratt told Cannon that Trump’s lawyers have pushed from the beginning to delay the trial until after the November 2024 election, when he hopes to retake the White House for the president. Joe Biden.
He said it because of defense motions to delay Washington’s trial and dismiss these charges, there is a possibility that the trial will be postponed.
He told Cannon that he “shouldn’t let the DC test drive the schedule here.”
He said his team has provided Trump’s lawyers with a directory of the Mar-a-Lago documents to help them prepare and briefed them on the parts of the security video they plan to play at trial — footage that prosecutors have said they are showing boxes being moved to and from a storage room on the property to try to hide them from investigators.
A Trump valet, Walt Nautaand a Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos de Oliveirahave been accused alongside Trump of conspiring to obstruct the F.B.Ithe research The three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, told Cannon that she and prosecutors need to be realistic, especially since classified documents can only be read in special government rooms that have increased security.
“It’s been extremely difficult to get access,” Blanche said.
Cannon said he will make a decision on the trial date in the next few days.
Tucker reported from Washington.
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