Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida on July 15, 2023.
beautiful frame | Reuters
Former President Donald Trump’s trial for mishandling classified documents will begin on May 20, 2024, a federal judge ordered Friday.
Judge Aileen Cannon presented the schedule three days after defense attorneys argued the case should not go to trial until the November 2024 presidential election, due to Trump’s status as the current presidential candidate.
Cannon’s decision falls midway between demands from Trump’s legal team and the Justice Department, which had been pushing for the trial to begin in late 2023.
Polls show Trump currently leading the 2024 Republican primary field. If the case goes ahead as currently expected, the trial could take place after a slew of key states have already held their nominating contests. The Republican National Convention, where the GOP will select its presidential nominee, is scheduled to take place in Milwaukee in mid-July 2024.
Last month, Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 counts related to his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021 and subsequent alleged efforts to conceal them from the government. Walt Nauta, his valet and co-defendant, pleaded not guilty to six counts.
Last week, Trump’s lawyers asked Cannon to delay setting a trial date and asked him to deny the DOJ’s request to start the trial in mid-December.
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