Fort Pierce, Florida – A federal judge in Florida has expressed skepticism about the proposed trial date for former President Donald Trump, stating that the timeline put forward by the prosecution is unrealistic. The judge, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, presided over a hearing to discuss scheduling options for the trial, where Trump faces charges of hoarding national security documents.
During the hearing, Trump’s lawyers suggested a start date of August 12, while the prosecution proposed beginning the trial on July 8. However, the former president’s legal team also hinted at the possibility of delaying the trial until after the November election.
Judge Cannon did not immediately rule on the trial date but made it clear that there is still much work to be done before the case can proceed to trial. She acknowledged that managing access to the classified documents at the center of the case, including who gets to view them, has been a significant challenge.
The timing of the trial could also be influenced by the recent decision of the Supreme Court to hear Trump’s immunity argument in another federal criminal case. The former president has claimed immunity from prosecution for retaining hundreds of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith has urged for the trial to move forward swiftly, in order to reach a verdict before the upcoming election. Smith proposed a start date of July 8 and laid out a schedule for pretrial motions.
However, Trump’s lawyers presented a calendar that showed potential conflicts with Trump’s expected court dates in a New York trial where he faces charges of falsifying business records. These conflicts could include overlapping hearings in the classified records case and the Republican National Convention in mid-July, should the trial follow Smith’s timeline.
Trump’s legal team argued that holding the trial before the election would deny the former president his constitutional rights, including the Sixth Amendment right to attend the trial and the First Amendment right to campaign for president.
In light of these concerns, Trump’s lawyers proposed a start date of August 12 if the trial were to take place before the election. They emphasized that beginning the trial after the election would be the preferable solution.
The judge has yet to make a final decision on the trial date, but it is clear that significant logistical and legal challenges need to be addressed before the proceedings can commence.