The possibility of delaying former President Donald Trump‘s forthcoming trial involving allegations of hoarding classified documents and obstructing the government’s retrieval of them is currently being considered by a federal judge in Florida.
Though scheduled to commence on May 20, Trump is interested in postponing proceedings until after the 2024 election, which could give him the authority to terminate the case if he wins.
On Thursday, the judge overseeing the case, Aileen Cannon, said she is unsure about the current schedule as the court has encountered challenges with confidential documents relevant to the case, but has not yet announced an official delay.
Despite this, prosecutors are advocating for the trial date to remain as planned.
Trump is about to face multiple legal cases in the first half of 2024 while running for the Republican presidential nomination. These include two criminal cases brought about by Special Counsel Jack Smith in Florida and Washington, D.C.
If Trump wins the presidency and these cases are still pending, he could appoint a compliant attorney general or even try to pardon himself.
However, during a court hearing, Trump’s lawyers argued for a delay in the Florida case due to scheduling conflicts with the federal election case, without mentioning the potential effects on his candidacy or criminal charges.
According to Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, the former president’s indictment in the election case, which took place a few days after Cannon established her initial plan for the legal case, “totally disturbed the entire plan that Your Honor had set.”
Another attorney for Trump has stated that it’s challenging to manage preparing a client for multiple trials while working with them for one particular trial.
