Trump Appointed Federal Judge Approves Trump’s Delay in Classified Documents Trial
AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool
The federal judge in charge of former President Donald Trump’s classified document trial granted his request to further delay multiple deadlines following the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.
Trump’s lawyers asked Judge Aileen Cannon on Friday for approval to file more motions arguing that the former president should be immune from criminal prosecution. In the requested motion, Trump’s attorneys suggested a timeline that would not see a ruling until at least the fall.
According to multiple reports, Cannon ruled that DOJ special counsel Jack Smith had until later this month to respond to the legal arguments from Trump’s request for a deadline. Additionally, Cannon delayed two other deadlines that is believed to cause a minor delay.
The special counsel accused Trump of mishandling classified documents before leaving the White House in 2021. The FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, where boxes of documents were found in a bathroom.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents are granted legal protection from criminal prosecution for official acts. Trump team argued in his D.C. criminal trial that the president should have immunity from any criminal prosecution for actions done while in office. The court issued the 6-3 ruling along ideological lines.
Smith has argued that the Supreme Court’s decision does not apply to the documents case because Trump has not been charged over official acts. The special counsel claims that Trump is accused of obstructing the FBI by refusing to handing over the requested documents at his Florida residence.
In the documents case, no trial date has been set following Cannon’s ruling that the start of the trial will be delayed indefinitely.
Trump faces two other criminal indictments in D.C. and Georgia over his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all his criminal prosecutions, claiming he is being politically prosecuted.
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