A federal judge ordered Friday that the trial in the classified documents case that special counsel Jack Smith brought against former President Donald Trump begin in midMay. If that timeline holds then the trial would fall deep in the race for the White House coming amid multiple GOP presidential primaries. It would be a rebuke to Trump and his legal team who wanted to postpone the trial until after the general election takes place in November. However Cannons order also means that the case will unfold at a far slower speed than what Smiths team was proposing when it recommended a fastpaced timeline that would start in midDecember of this year. The vast majority of state primaries will be finished by midMay although Nebraska Maryland and West Virginia are set to hold their primary elections on May . Oregon votes the following week and a handful of states including New Jersey are now scheduled to vote on June. During his first presidential run Trump effectively clinched the nomination at the end of May before formally becoming the partys nominee in July at the GOP convention in Cleveland. While its likely the nominating process will be essentially decided by May recent history has plenty examples of the race remaining a delegate fight until early summer. Both pleaded not guilty to an indictment that alleged the former president unlawfully retained national defense information and that accused both defendants of engaging in obstructive conduct. In her new order Cannon cited the voluminous evidence prosecutors are turning over to the defense as well as the complexities that the classified material at the heart of thecase will bring to the proceedings. She also said that the court will be faced with extensive pretrial motion practice on a diverse number of legal and factual issues all in connection with a count indictment. Nevertheless she was not convinced by the Trump teams arguments that those issues justified holding off setting a trial date altogether writing that she did not see a sufficient basis on this record to postpone entry of a scheduling order. This is a breaking story and will be updated. s Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report. The trial is set to begin on May 1st and is expected to last a week or so with a maximum of two days of testimony from both the prosecution and the defense. It is expected that both defendants will be able to present their side of the case at a hearing later in the month. The case is expected and expected to be heard by a federal judge in New York City on May 2nd and 3rd and the trial is scheduled to end on May 5th and 6th and 7th and 8th and 9th and 10th and 11th and 12th and 13th and 14th and 15th and 16th and 17th and 18th and 19th and 20th and 21st respectively. The indictment alleges that Trump and an aide illegally retained national defence information and engaged in obstruction of justice. The former president is accused of using his position as president of the United States to gain access to classified information. The aide is also accused of trying to influence the outcome of the 2008 presidential election by leaking classified information to the media.
Judge sets May 2024 trial date for Donald Trump in documents case. Trump will be tried in May 2024.
