Special Counsel Suggests July Trial Start Date for Trump
Judge Aileen Cannon is considering delaying the trial’s original May start date, with special counsel Jack Smith’s office proposing a July start instead. Published on Feb. 29, 2024, at 10:44 PM EST, Donald Trump is seeking another extension of the trial over his alleged mishandling of classified documents until after the 2024 presidential election, hinting he could agree to an Aug. 12 start date.
The unexpected request from Trump’s legal team comes in response to special counsel Jack Smith’s office proposing a July 8 trial start date. Both proposals were submitted just before a Friday hearing by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, Florida, where it is likely that the initial May 20 start date will be postponed.
Trump’s lawyers argued in their 8-page filing that it would be unfair for the former president to face trial this year, especially considering his political status as the presumptive Republican nominee and a rival to President Biden. Balancing the necessary proceedings in Trump’s four separate criminal cases with his busy schedule has presented challenges, particularly as he fights to have the cases dismissed, maintaining his innocence in all four.
Simultaneously, a hearing is scheduled in Fulton County, Georgia, where charges that Trump intervened in the 2020 election have been delayed due to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, leaving the trial start date undetermined. Trump’s legal team has also argued that he is immune from prosecution for actions taken while in office, an issue that will be addressed in oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in late April, likely postponing the D.C. election interference case to a later start in the summer.
March 25 is the current firm start date for Trump’s trial in New York, facing 34 charges related to falsifying business records in the Stormy Daniels hush money scandal. To stay up-to-date on these developments, visit The Daily Beast for more information.