Federal prosecutors are asking for former President Donald Trump’s classified documents to start on July 8.
Trump’s attorneys and special counsel Jack Smith are asking for the trial in the classified documents case to be pushed, CNN reported.
Trump’s attorney proposed August 12 as an alternative date, according to The Associated Press. Smith proposed July 8.
The August 12 date happens to come weeks after the Republican National Convention, the AP reported.
“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 affords President Trump a Sixth Amendment right to be present and to participate in these proceedings as well as...a First Amendment right that he shares with the American people to engage in campaign speech,” defense lawyers wrote, according to the AP.
The trial was previously scheduled to start in May. According to Reuters, District Judge Aileen Cannon is expected to address the trial date at a hearing Friday.
Trump faces dozens of charges related to his handling of classified documents. Also charged are his aide, Walt Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveria.
The case involves 1.3 million pages of unclassified discovery, about 60 terabytes of closed-circuit television footage spanning at least nine months and 5,500 pages of classified discovery, court records show.
The United States Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear arguments to see if Trump gets presidential immunity in the election interference case which could impact the classified documents case as well, according to CNN reported.
Trump has several other criminal cases and the schedule for those remains unclear, according to CNN.
© 2024 Cox Media Group
