Judge postpones Trump secrets trial indefinitely
Washington — A federal judge has indefinitely postponed former President Donald Trump's classified documents trial in Florida.
In Tuesday's order, U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon addressed issues surrounding pretrial motions and confidential evidence in the case. The trial start date was originally scheduled for May 20th.
“Finding a trial date at this point… would be imprudent, inconsistent with the court's duty to fully and fairly consider the various pretrial motions pending before it, and would be important,” Cannon said. Yes,” he wrote. [Classified Information Procedures Act] Issues necessary to present this case to a jury and any additional pretrial and trial preparations. ”
The special prosecutor declined to comment.
Cannon's long-awaited rescheduling order comes more than two months after she heard arguments from Trump's lawyers and special counsel Jack Smith. Lawyers for the former president have asked that the case not go to trial until after the upcoming 2024 presidential election, but if Cannon decides to proceed with the case, August or September could be a possibility. Admitted. Prosecutors said they would be ready for trial in July.
“The only thing both parties can agree on is that this case could be tried this summer,” Assistant Special Counsel Jay Blatt argued in court in March. Cannon called some of the Justice Department's proposed pretrial deadlines “unrealistic” and said the case needs space to “allow for flexibility.”
At the same hearing, President Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche said the former president's civil fraud trial, which begins April 15 in New York, is likely to be delayed until July 2020, when President Trump “will not be able to effectively prepare for this trial by July.” ”, he argued.
Blanche argued that the “simple solution” was to start reviewing documents in late November, after the election, to avoid a “near frenzy”. Trump's team argued that taking the case to trial in the fall would be a form of “election interference.” Prosecutors rejected that argument, telling Cannon that the Justice Department's guidelines against filing charges so close to an election do not apply to the case itself, which falls within the court's jurisdiction.
Smith filed a sweeping indictment against Trump and two co-defendants, aide Walt Nauta and former Mar-a-Lago employee Carlos de Oliveira. . Mishandled a large number of documents He marked it as classified and worked with his aides to obstruct subsequent federal investigations.
All three have maintained their innocence and deny wrongdoing.
The delay comes amid an ongoing dispute between Trump's lawyers, co-defendants and special counsel Jack Smith over the placement of classified records in evidence. Trump's lawyers have argued in recent days that markers for classified records that Trump allegedly mishandled were not properly placed in evidence boxes.
The special counsel last week pointed out the discrepancies and said in the past that relevant intelligence agencies had examined the documents. The defendants argue that this discrepancy casts doubt on the investigation.
Smith also indicted Trump on four counts in Washington, D.C., stemming from Trump's efforts to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election. President Trump has maintained his innocence in this case as well. The case remains on hold as the Supreme Court considers President Trump's presidential immunity claim. The High Court's decision could be handed down by June.
Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.
Summarize this content to 100 words Washington — A federal judge has indefinitely postponed former President Donald Trump's classified documents trial in Florida. In Tuesday's order, U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon addressed issues surrounding pretrial motions and confidential evidence in the case. The trial start date was originally scheduled for May 20th. “Finding a trial date at this point… would be imprudent, inconsistent with the court's duty to fully and fairly consider the various pretrial motions pending before it, and would be important,” Cannon said. Yes,” he wrote. [Classified Information Procedures Act] Issues necessary to present this case to a jury and any additional pretrial and trial preparations. ”
The special prosecutor declined to comment. Cannon's long-awaited rescheduling order comes more than two months after she heard arguments from Trump's lawyers and special counsel Jack Smith. Lawyers for the former president have asked that the case not go to trial until after the upcoming 2024 presidential election, but if Cannon decides to proceed with the case, August or September could be a possibility. Admitted. Prosecutors said they would be ready for trial in July.
“The only thing both parties can agree on is that this case could be tried this summer,” Assistant Special Counsel Jay Blatt argued in court in March. Cannon called some of the Justice Department's proposed pretrial deadlines “unrealistic” and said the case needs space to “allow for flexibility.”At the same hearing, President Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche said the former president's civil fraud trial, which begins April 15 in New York, is likely to be delayed until July 2020, when President Trump “will not be able to effectively prepare for this trial by July.” ”, he argued.Blanche argued that the “simple solution” was to start reviewing documents in late November, after the election, to avoid a “near frenzy”. Trump's team argued that taking the case to trial in the fall would be a form of “election interference.” Prosecutors rejected that argument, telling Cannon that the Justice Department's guidelines against filing charges so close to an election do not apply to the case itself, which falls within the court's jurisdiction.Smith filed a sweeping indictment against Trump and two co-defendants, aide Walt Nauta and former Mar-a-Lago employee Carlos de Oliveira. . Mishandled a large number of documents He marked it as classified and worked with his aides to obstruct subsequent federal investigations.
All three have maintained their innocence and deny wrongdoing. The delay comes amid an ongoing dispute between Trump's lawyers, co-defendants and special counsel Jack Smith over the placement of classified records in evidence. Trump's lawyers have argued in recent days that markers for classified records that Trump allegedly mishandled were not properly placed in evidence boxes. The special counsel last week pointed out the discrepancies and said in the past that relevant intelligence agencies had examined the documents. The defendants argue that this discrepancy casts doubt on the investigation.Smith also indicted Trump on four counts in Washington, D.C., stemming from Trump's efforts to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election. President Trump has maintained his innocence in this case as well. The case remains on hold as the Supreme Court considers President Trump's presidential immunity claim. The High Court's decision could be handed down by June.Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.
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robert regal
Robert Legare is a multiplatform reporter and producer for CBS News, covering the Department of Justice, federal courts, and investigations. He previously served as an associate producer for “CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell.”
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