Date set for Donald Trump’s trial for ‘mishandling classified documents’

Judge Aileen Cannon set the case for 20 May though Trump had wished the trial postponed till after the November 2024 presidential election.

The case will start with the election marketing campaign already underway.

Trump, 77, faces fees over the storage of delicate information at his Florida residence, which can also be a golf resort.

Prosecutors allege he illegally saved secret paperwork at his Mar-a-Lago property after he left workplace and obstructed authorities efforts to retrieve them.

The former president has maintained his innocence and claims the case is a vendetta in opposition to him and an try to destroy his election marketing campaign.

Judge Cannon stated on Friday the two-week trial would happen in Fort Pierce, Florida.

The former president pleaded not responsible to 37 federal counts throughout an arraignment in Miami final month.

Lawyers for each side argued within the Fort Pierce court docket earlier this week over when the case needs to be held.

Prosecutors stated the proof was not difficult and there was no must delay the trial, requesting that it begins in December.

But legal professionals for Trump had argued that the “extraordinary” nature of the case required extra time to arrange.

They stated their shopper couldn’t get a good trial earlier than the November 2024 election.

Opinion polls counsel Trump is the clear front-runner within the race to change into the Republican get together candidate who will problem the Democratic nominee subsequent 12 months.

But he’s dealing with quite a few authorized obstacles together with the The Mar-a-Lago case.

In April he was individually charged with falsifying enterprise data within the state of New York.

He introduced on social media this week that he anticipated to be arrested quickly in reference to a federal inquiry into the US Capitol riot two years in the past and his efforts to problem the 2020 election outcomes.

State prosecutors in Atlanta, Georgia, are additionally investigating whether or not the previous president broke the regulation together with his makes an attempt to overturn the election ends in that state three years in the past.

Department of Justice-appointed particular counsel Jack Smith is main twin investigations into the Capitol riot and the Mar-a-Lago information.

In an indictment final month, prosecutors alleged that when Trump left workplace he took with hiom about 300 categorised paperwork to his residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

They allege he saved the delicate paperwork in a number of areas, together with a ballroom and a toilet.

According to prosecutors, Mr Trump additionally informed a private aide, Walt Nauta, to maneuver containers containing categorised information from a storage room on the resort earlier than federal investigators got here to search for them.

Mr Nauta can also be charged within the case and has pleaded not responsible.