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The judge in the case of secret documents against former President Trump is expected to set a trial date

2024-03-01 20:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The judge in the case of secret documents against former President Trump is

The federal judge overseeing the criminal case against former President Donald Trump over classified documents is expected to set a trial date Friday.

It's an important decision because it could determine whether the Republican front-runner goes to trial this year to face charges that he took top-secret information with him when he fled the White House and hid it from authorities.

The trial in the state of Florida is currently set for May 20. But Judge Aileen Cannon has already postponed several times the date related to this case and signaled that during Friday's session she will review the trial date.

Federal prosecutors on Thursday requested a July 8 trial date. Mr. Trump's defense lawyers said it was impossible to hold a fair trial this year while the former president is running to return to the White House, but they proposed August 12 as a possible date to begin selecting the jury.

The trial date has taken on even greater significance given the uncertainty surrounding another federal case in Washington, where Mr. Trump is accused of trying to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

The Supreme Court said this week that in late April it will hear arguments for and against Mr. Trump's claim that he has immunity from prosecution, raising great uncertainty over whether the trial on the charges, also brought by the U.S. attorney in particular, Jack Smith – could take place before the November election.

If the classified documents trial in Florida is delayed until after the election and the overturning trial in Washington doesn't begin this year, that means voters will go to the polls without knowing the fate of two major cases against the former president. .

Friday's hearing is the first open on the matter in months.

Former President Trump faces 40 criminal charges in Florida, brought by special counsel Smith, alleging he took dozens of classified documents with him when he left the White House and took them to Mar-a-Lago. He then refused requests from the Justice Department to return them.

Prosecutors have said that "there has never before been a case in American history when a former official has committed similar actions."

Former President Trump and his lawyers have denied any wrongdoing. They asked Judge Cannon last week to dismiss the case, citing among other things the immunity argument, which is currently being considered by the Supreme Court./ VOA