Federal prosecutors seek July trial for Trump in classified documents case
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are calling for a July 8 trial for former President Donald Trump on charges that he illegally kept and concealed classified documents. Defense lawyers say no trial should take place this year, but suggested August 12 as an alternative.
The dueling motions were filed Thursday ahead of a crucial hearing in Florida, where the judge in the case, Aileen Cannon, is expected to set a trial date. The trial is currently scheduled for May 20, but Cannon indicated months ago that she expected to return to that date during Friday’s hearing.
The trial date in the secret prosecution documents has taken on added significance in light of the uncertainty surrounding a separate federal case in Washington accusing Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court said this week it would hear arguments in late April on whether Trump is immune from prosecution as a former president, leaving it unclear whether that case could go to trial before the November election.
In their motion, defense attorneys made clear to Cannon that they would prefer to avoid a trial this year while Trump — who faces four separate state and federal charges — campaigns for the Republican nomination for the presidency.
A key element of the Trump team’s strategy has been to postpone his criminal cases until after the election. If Trump is elected president, he could order the Justice Department to dismiss the federal cases, or he could try to pardon himself.
“As the leading candidate in the 2024 election, President Trump strongly asserts that a fair trial cannot be conducted this year in a manner consistent with the Constitution, which gives President Trump the Sixth Amendment right to be present and also to to participate in these procedures. as…a First Amendment right he shares with the American people to make campaign speeches,” attorneys wrote.
But they suggested Aug. 12 — weeks after the Republican National Convention — as a possible alternate trial date in case Cannon wants to pursue a trial this year.
Defense attorneys have separately asked Cannon to dismiss the case, citing, among other things, the immunity argument that will soon be considered by the Supreme Court.
Of the four criminal cases Trump faces, the only one with a trial date that appears to be set involves a New York state prosecutor accusing him of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to a porn star. That case will be heard on March 25.
Another case, filed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, accuses him of plotting to undermine Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. No date has been set for the trial.