The Trump-appointed federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents ruled that the high-stakes trial will start on May 20, 2024.
Judge Aileen M. Cannon's decision splits the difference between the government's request for a December 2023 trial and Trump's desire to push it back until after the 2024 election. (RELATED: Sheriffs Grit Teeth – Prepare For Insanity After Supreme Court Ruling [WATCH])
As The New York Times reports:
In her order, Judge Aileen M. Cannon said the trial was to be held in her home courthouse in Fort Pierce, Fla., a coastal city two-and-a-half hours north of Miami that will draw its jury pool from several counties that Mr. Trump won handily in his two previous presidential campaigns.
Judge Cannon also laid out a calendar of hearings, throughout the remainder of this year and into next year, including those concerning the handling of the classified material at the heart of the case.
The scheduling order came after a contentious hearing on Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce where prosecutors working for the special counsel, Jack Smith, and lawyers for Mr. Trump sparred over when to hold the trial.
The timing of the proceeding is more important in this case than in most criminal matters because Mr. Trump is now the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and his legal obligations to be in court will intersect with his campaign schedule.
Indeed, the May 20 start date is one day before Georgia's presidential primary, although most caucuses and primaries will have already occurred by that date.
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To deny his campaign for office