Special Counsel: August Is Too Early for Trump Trial

UPDATE Jun 24, 2023 7:00 AM CDT

An Aug. 14 date set by US District Judge Aileen Cannon for the beginning of former President Donald Trump's trial in his classified documents case is already being challenged. On Friday, special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion requesting that the trial be delayed until Dec. 11, noting the August start date would deny "reasonable time necessary for effective preparation" by both sides, reports ABC News. Of particular importance in the timeline of the pretrial proceedings will be defense lawyers obtaining the appropriate security clearances so they can review the classified documents involved in the case. In his motion, Smith notes that the defense teams for Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta don't oppose moving the start date.

Jun 20, 2023 10:15 AM CDT

Those following Donald Trump's legal travails over classified documents can mark their calendars for August 14—the date designated on Tuesday by federal judge Aileen Cannon as a starting date for the trial, reports Politico. However, they should most definitely use pencil, because it's a safe bet things will be delayed significantly longer, per the New York Times. Much has to be resolved before the trial starts, including how attorneys can discuss or display classified material. In looking at Cannon's track record, delays of weeks or months are fairly typical once such a date has been announced, notes Politico.

Still, "it signals that the court is at least trying to do everything it can to move the case along and that it's important that the case proceed quickly," former federal prosecutor Brandon L. Van Grack tells the Times. "Even though it's unlikely to hold, it's at least a positive signal—positive in the sense that all parties and the public should want this case to proceed as quickly as possible." Once the trial begins, special counsel Jack Smith has said it shouldn't last longer than three weeks, per the Hill. (Trump has offered a new defense for his reluctance to return the documents to federal officials—he says he was too busy to sort through them.)