Donald Trump’s Classified Documents Trial Postponed Indefinitely as Georgia Election Case Faces New Delay
The former president secured two major court victories this week amid his attempts to push his criminal trials past the November election
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Donald Trump at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 7, 2024Two of Donald Trump’s criminal cases are facing new court delays, pushing the former president one step closer to escaping their long-awaited trials.
On May 7, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon revealed in a court filing that the federal classified documents trial in Florida — which was scheduled to begin on May 20 — would be postponed indefinitely due to multiple pretrial issues.
Related: Most Americans Want to See Donald Trump Verdict Reached Before the November Election: Poll
In the filing, Cannon — who's been accused by critics of being partial to Trump — wrote "that finalization of a trial date at this juncture ... would be imprudent and inconsistent with the Court’s duty to fully and fairly consider the various pending pre-trial motions before the Court, critical [Classified Information Procedures Act] issues, and additional pretrial and trial preparations necessary to present this case to a jury."
She added, “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, consistent with Defendants’ right to due process and the public’s interest in the fair and efficient administration of justice.”
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U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who assumed office in late 2020PEOPLE previously reported in June 2023 that Trump had been charged with violating the Espionage Act after the Justice Department's investigation into how he handled classified documents after his presidential term.
Related: Donald Trump Heard Talking About Alleged Classified Documents on Tape: ‘These are the Papers’
According to The New York Times, at least seven counts were included in the federal indictment, such as conspiring to obstruct justice, making false statements and willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act.
The trial was initially scheduled to take place in August 2023 before getting delayed.
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Donald Trump leaves a Florida courthouse after a hearing related to his criminal classified documents case on March 14, 2024On the heels of Cannon's decision in the Florida case, Trump secured another court victory — this time in his Georgia election interference case.
Trump previously tried to get the Fulton County district attorney disqualified from the case after it came to light that she had been in a relationship with one of her prosecutors. When the county judge allowed the DA to stick around, Trump appealed the decision.
On May 8, the Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to hear Trump's challenge, which will further delay the trial. In that case, he is charged with 13 felony counts including violating the Georgia RICO Act.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Donald Trump's Fulton County booking photoTrump has been indicted on felony charges in four separate criminal cases.
Since the charges were announced, the former president's strategy has been to prevent as many cases from going to trial as possible by delaying them past the November election. His plan has largely worked, and it appears that only one of the four indictments — which has been nicknamed the Manhattan "hush money" case — will result in a verdict this year.
Trump's Manhattan case centers around 34 felony counts of falsified business records, as prosecutors aim to prove that he used unlawful means to sway the 2016 presidential election. If the former president is convicted on any of the counts, he faces up to four years in prison.
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