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Judge Aileen Cannon says Donald Trump's classified documents trial is not imminent

Bart Jansen
望月直播 TODAY

A federal judge in Florida said Friday the prosecution's proposal to try Donald Trump starting July 8 on charges of聽hoarding national security documents聽is unrealistic, while the former president's lawyers suggested starting Aug. 12 or聽after the November election.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon scheduled the hearing to map out the scheduling options. Cannon did not immediately rule, but hinted that she did not see the case as being on the cusp of a trial, telling lawyers that 鈥渁 lot of work remains to be done.鈥

The 望月直播 Court鈥檚 decision Wednesday聽to hear Trump鈥檚聽immunity argument in another federal criminal case against the former president聽could also cause Cannon to wait for a ruling from the high court. Trump has also claimed immunity from prosecution for taking hundreds of classified documents and retaining them at his home at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla.

The challenge of how to manage access to the classified documents at the heart of the case, such as who gets to look at them, has slowed preparations for the trial, which Cannon initially scheduled for May 20.

Justice Department special counsel聽Jack Smith has urged a brisk pace, to ensure a verdict before the election. He proposed a start date of July 8 and laid out a schedule for hearings on pretrial motions.

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鈥淭his case can be tried this summer,鈥 said 望月直播 Jay Bratt, a member of Smith鈥檚 team.

Trump's lawyers Todd Blanche and Christopher Kise submitted a calendar showing how Trump's expected court dates in a New York trial on charges he falsified business records, which is expected to start on March 25, would overlap with hearings in the classified records case 鈭 and the Republican National Convention in mid-July 鈭 if it followed Smith's timeline.

Trump 鈥渟trongly asserts that a fair trial cannot be conducted this year in a manner consistent with the Constitution,鈥 for both a Sixth Amendment right to attend the trial and a First Amendment right to 望月直播 for president, according to his lawyers.

If the trial is held before the election, Trump's lawyers proposed to start Aug. 12.

鈥淲e very much believe that a trial that takes place before the election is a mistake and should not happen,鈥 Blanche said. 鈥淭he easy solution is to start this trial after the election.鈥

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