Fort Pierce - Friday May 21, 2023: Federal Judge Aileen Cannon has re-scheduled the start of former President Trumps' Fort Pierce felony trial until May 20, 2024.
In a ruling handed down Friday morning she wrote: "The Court finds that the interests of justice served by this continuance outweigh the best interest of the public and Defendants in a speedy trial."
Trump is accused of violating the Espionage Act and obstructing justice by taking classified documents with him when he left office, refusing to return them, and concealing and misleading investigators who sought the return of those documents.
The Judge originally set a trial date of August 14th following the Government's request for a speedy trial. However the Government came back and asked for a four month delay until December 11th to give the defense enough time to get its security clearances and review all the documents. Trump's lawyers responded to the Government's motion by asking instead for the court to postpone setting a trial date until after the 2024 presidential election.
Judge Cannon's decision follows the first hearing in the case held this past Tuesday during which both sides argued over the issue of when the trial should begin.
A Compromise
Judge Cannon's decision is a compromise between the competing requests for delaying the start of the trial.
She rejected the Government's request for a December 11th trial date calling it "atypically accelerated and inconsistent with ensuring a fair trial."
The Judge also said 'no' to Trump's request for an indefinite postponement writing "the Court rejects Defendants’ request to withhold setting of a schedule now; the Court deems it necessary to manage this proceeding through important stages of discovery,"
Her decision sets a series of nine dates between now and October for the review of the classified documents in order to determine which ones will presented during trial.
"Upon review of the parties’ competing arguments, it is clear to the Court that a continuance is warranted", wrote Judge Cannon, "and in accordance with the requirements of the Speedy Trial Act."
In reaching that conclusion she cited the "exceedingly voluminous" documents that will need to be reviewed during the discovery process, and the classified nature of those documents.
"The Court will be faced with extensive pre-trial motion practice on a diverse number of legal and factual issues," wrote Judge Cannon.
As a result, these factors are enough "to designate this case complex," concluded the Judge adding that "the Court is unaware of any searchable case in which a court has refused a complex designation under comparable circumstances."
The U.S. Department of Justice has accused the former President of violating the Espionage Act and obstructing justice by taking classified documents with him when he left office, refusing to return them, and concealing and misleading investigators who sought the return of those documents.
The former President has pleaded not guilty to all 37 counts.