Donald Trump Classified Documents Scandal Trial Date Revealed

The trial for the Donald Trump classified documents scandal finally has a date, as Judge Aileen Cannon has decided that it would happen next year, but before the presidential elections.

Trump attorneys want the trial to happen after the election, but prosecutors want it soon. After hearing arguments from both sides on Tuesday, she decided that the trial will start on May 20, 2024, at the Fort Pierce Division of the US District Court in Southern Florida.

The Washington Post pointed out that the trial date could still be delayed because of many other issues, including the fact that the Trump legal team could still file pretrial motions to delay.

Aside from this, Trump also has another criminal case in New York scheduled for March regarding his hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels at the height of the 2020 elections. This might complicate the date Judge Cannon set.

Currently, Donald Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican Party nomination for 2024, with a massive 2-digit lead against 2nd place Ron DeSantis. This means that Trump could go to trial in the classified documents case as the presumptive Republican nominee.

Judge Questioned Why Donald Trump Wanted To Push Trial After 2024 Elections

Donald Trump's attempt to push to delay his federal criminal trial after the general elections in November 2024 actually raised Judge Aileen Cannon's eyebrow as she appeared to be skeptical of the Trump legal team's request.

However, she also seemed skeptical of special counsel Jack Smith's request to set the trial in December while Republicans are still duking it out in the primary election, according to CNBC.

"I can appreciate more time is necessary, but some deadlines can clearly be established now," said Cannon in her decision to set the date, brushing aside one of Trump's defense attorneys' arguments that his client "would not be able to get a fair jury to hear his case while he remains a top presidential candidate."

Donald Trump currently faces 37 criminal counts for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House. He was charged with his valet, former Navy officer Walt Nauta. Both of them pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Law Experts Weigh In on Donald Trump Classified Documents Scandal Trial Date

Many law experts seemed to agree with Canon's decision on the trial date, with Columbia Law School Daniel Richman telling NPR that the May 20 date was "an appropriate and reasonable effort to balance the legitimate needs of the defendants against the need to move the case forward as expeditiously as possible."

Other legal experts also weighed in on Judge Cannon's lack of experience handling the case, with George Washington University law school professor and former Justice Department official Stephen Saltzburg saying, "[Cannon] doesn't have any experience in criminal cases involving classified information. She hasn't actually presided over a lengthy jury trial. They've all been short."

As for the possible delays, Trump and Nauta's lawyers applying for security clearances could delay the date further as they still have to go through the stacks of classified material ahead of the trial. University of Michigan Law School professor Barbara McQuade pointed out that this could take months.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Trump classified documents trial set to begin in May 2024 - CBS News