Judge Aileen Cannon has set a trial date for former President Donald Trump in the confidential papers case.
The trial will begin on August 14 in Fort Pierce, Florida, according to a court order signed by the judge Trump chose. Despite a tape in which Trump discusses hiding a document from his administration, this declaration follows his recent denial of possessing a secret document connected to striking Iran.
In an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier at his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump made these claims less than a week after pleading not guilty to 37 charges at his arraignment in a federal court in Miami.
Willful mishandling of secret documents, obstruction of justice, and false statements are among the charges leveled against Trump. After leaving the White House in January 2021, he was indicted for keeping hundreds of secret documents. Trump is being sued as he seeks the Republican nomination for president in 2024. If this trial date is maintained, it will be a little over a week before the first Republican presidential debate of the election season.
On the same day, Monday, June 19, a federal magistrate court issued an order barring Trump’s counsel from sharing any information they learn from prosecutors with the media or the public. The date decided by Judge Cannon is consistent with the defendant’s constitutional entitlement to a trial no later than 70 days after arraignment. The trial date may be delayed, however, if Trump’s legal team continues to file papers that establish new deadlines.
Trump’s preparations for the 2024 presidential election may be hampered by the setting of the trial date, which will presumably be delayed in the future. Whether or not he is actually guilty, the legal problems he has been having are a major source of frustration for the ex-president. It is unclear how the legal troubles will damage his presidential chances, especially as the battle heats up.
