Trump Mar-a-Lago classified files case: Judge sets 20 May trial date

Former President Donald Trump volition spell connected proceedings for alleged mishandling of classified documents successful outpouring adjacent year, a tribunal has ruled.

Judge Aileen Cannon acceptable the lawsuit for 20 May. Mr Trump had wanted the proceedings held aft the November 2024 election. Prosecutors wanted it this year.

The high-profile lawsuit volition statesman with the predetermination run successful afloat swing.

Mr Trump, 77, faces superior charges implicit the retention of delicate files astatine his Florida home.

Prosecutors accidental helium illegally kept concealed documents astatine his Mar-a-Lago property aft helium near bureau and obstructed authorities efforts to retrieve them.

The erstwhile president has maintained his innocence, lambasting the lawsuit arsenic an effort to destruct his predetermination campaign.

On Friday, Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, said the two-week proceedings would instrumentality spot successful Fort Pierce, Florida.

For prosecutors to unafraid a condemnation successful the Mar-a-Lago case, the jury's determination indispensable beryllium unanimous.

Jurors volition beryllium selected from astir the Fort Pierce division, which includes respective counties that Mr Trump won successful 2020.

The erstwhile president pleaded not blameworthy to 37 national counts during an arraignment successful Miami past month.

Lawyers for some sides argued successful the Fort Pierce tribunal earlier this week implicit erstwhile the lawsuit should beryllium held.

Prosecutors said the grounds was not analyzable and determination was nary request to hold the trial. They wanted it to statesman successful December.

But lawyers for Mr Trump had argued that the "extraordinary" quality of the lawsuit required much clip to prepare.

They said their lawsuit could not get a just proceedings earlier the November 2024 election.

Opinion polls bespeak Mr Trump is the runaway front-runner successful the contention to go the Republican enactment campaigner who volition situation the Democratic nominee, successful each likelihood President Joe Biden, adjacent year.

The Mar-a-Lago lawsuit is 1 of respective ineligible challenges Mr Trump is facing.

In April, helium was charged with falsifying concern records successful the authorities of New York.

Mr Trump announced this week that helium expected to beryllium arrested soon successful transportation with a national enquiry into the US Capitol riot 2 years agone and his efforts to situation the 2020 predetermination results.

State prosecutors successful Atlanta, Georgia, are besides investigating whether the erstwhile president broke the instrumentality with his attempts to overturn the canvass results successful that authorities 3 years ago.

Department of Justice-appointed peculiar counsel Jack Smith is starring duplicate investigations into the Capitol riot and the Mar-a-Lago files.

In an indictment past month, his prosecutors alleged that erstwhile Mr Trump near office, helium took astir 300 classified documents to his oceanfront location successful Palm Beach.

They accidental helium stored the delicate documents successful respective spaces, including a ballroom and a bathroom.

According to prosecutors, Mr Trump besides told a idiosyncratic aide, Walt Nauta, to determination boxes containing classified files from a retention country astatine the edifice earlier national investigators came to look for them.

Mr Nauta is besides charged successful the lawsuit and has pleaded not guilty.

In New York, Mr Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying concern records for the alleged concealment of hush-money payments to big movie prima Stormy Daniels.

The erstwhile president faces a proceedings successful that lawsuit connected 25 March 2024.