After Judge Postpones Trump’s Classified Documents Case, Experts Say Trial Is Unlikely To Start Before Election

Judge Aileen Cannon has indefinitely postponed Donald Trump’s trial for mishandling of classified documents in Florida, citing issues around classified evidence that would need to be worked out before the case goes before a jury.

Earlier this month, Cannon canceled the May trial date and did not set a new one. Though the former president is on trial for his hush money case in New York City, Cannon’s decision means there are no trial dates for the other three criminal cases against him. Legal experts say none of these trials are likely to start before the November election. 

The judge noted eight substantive pending motions she has yet to decide and reiterated that she believes the national security mishandling allegations in the case “present novel and difficult questions.”

Cannon said in her new scheduling order that she will hold a hearing on Trump’s request for records from President Joe Biden’s administration. The hearing will begin on June 24 and will last approximately three days.

The decision is a win for the leading Republican presidential candidate, as the proceeding will give Trump and his legal team a platform to vocalize theories about the prosecution, including the claim that it is politically charged.

In the Florida case, the former president is charged with mishandling classified documents and working with two co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation. The three defendants have pleaded not guilty.