Judge delays Trump classified documents trial indefinitely

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday ruled that former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case would not go to trial on May 20, 2024, as initially scheduled. Cannon did not set a new date for the trial. She instead said that the court, the prosecution, and the defendants had a myriad of interconnected preliminary matters to attend to before a jury could hear the case.

What sorts of preliminary matters are at issue? She noted that the court had to sort through eight substantive pre-trial motions, motions by Trump to compel the prosecution to hand over evidence, and matters related to the Classified Information Procedures Act, or CIPA.

What exactly is the prosecution charging Trump with in this case? In June, the Justice Department indicted Trump with willfully retaining and disclosing classified documents. It also charged Trump and Walt Nauta with conspiring to obstruct justice. In July, the department issued a superseding indictment, adding more charges against Trump and charging a third defendant, Carlos de Oliveira.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about how the Supreme Court’s forthcoming ruling on Trump’s presidential immunity could affect his different cases.