A federal trial in Florida concerning Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents during his presidency has been indefinitely postponed by US District Judge Aileen Cannon. The judge cited unresolved issues regarding trial evidence as the reason for not setting a trial date at this time.
Previously scheduled to begin on May 20, 2024, the trial is now unlikely to commence before the US election on November 5. Trump’s legal team has proposed holding the trial after the presidential election, while prosecutors have advocated for it to take place this year.
Deliberations over pre-trial matters have been slow-moving, leading to doubts about the feasibility of the original trial date. Trump faces accusations of unlawfully retaining top-secret documents after leaving office and obstructing efforts to recover them, including allegedly planning to erase security footage at his Mar-a-Lago estate. He has pleaded not guilty to the 40 felony charges against him, which include conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
Trump’s aide and a property manager at Mar-a-Lago, who are also charged, have entered not-guilty pleas. Disputes between defense lawyers and prosecutors over the admissibility of classified evidence have contributed to multiple delays. Some legal observers have speculated that Judge Cannon, who has often ruled in favor of Trump, maybe intentionally prolong the case.
Additional hearings are scheduled to address pending concerns, with no new trial date set at this time.
Finalising a trial date at this juncture, she wrote, “would be imprudent and inconsistent with the Court’s duty to fully and fairly consider the various pending pre-trial motions before the Court”.
“The Court therefore vacates the current May 20, 2024, trial date (and associated calendar call), to be reset by separate order following resolution of the matters before the Court,” she added.
Carl Tobias, a law expert at the University of Richmond, said that Judge Cannon had failed to act to limit the “delay tactics” of Mr Trump’s team.
“Some complications and delays may have been inevitable… but the judge’s failure to take control and move the case, or to request help is surprising,” he said.
Donald Trump, the expected Republican candidate for president, is confronting numerous charges in three separate criminal cases and is presently undergoing trial in New York. However, he is also anticipating a Supreme Court verdict on his assertions of presidential immunity, a ruling he contends could impact all the criminal proceedings targeting him.
