Judge delays Trump’s trial date indefinitely in Florida classified documents case

A federal judge has indefinitely delayed the trial date in the special counsel case against Donald Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents.

In a decision filed on Tuesday, US district judge Aileen M Cannon vacated a planned 20 May trial date, citing unresolved issues around evidence, discovery, and the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) as reasons for the delay.

The former president faces 40 federal charges related to allegedly keeping classified documents after leaving the White House for his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and obstructing government efforts to retrieve the materials. He has pleaded not guilty.

Documents unsealed this week revealed that Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, described Trump randomly choosing which documents to return to the National Archives as he wrapped up his presidential affairs.

With the trial date postponed, Trump’s hush money trial in New York may be the only legal battle to conclude before the 2024 election. Another case accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results is on hold as the Supreme Court considers presidential immunity.

In Georgia, a case alleging election interference by Trump and his associates is also pending, with no trial date set yet. The case faced delays due to legal concerns over a romantic relationship between the district attorney and a special prosecutor involved in the case.

The New York case poses the most immediate threat to Trump, as Judge Juan Merchan recently found him in contempt of court and violating a trial-related gag order, resulting in a fine and the threat of jail time for further violations.