Federal prosecutors seek July trial for Trump in classified documents case

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News/AP

February 29, 2024, 6:16 PM


WASHINGTON -- Federal prosecutors are requesting a July 8 trial for former President Donald Trump on charges that he illegally retained and concealed classified documents. Defense lawyers say no trial should be conducted this year but proposed August 12 as an alternative possibility.

The dueling proposals were submitted Thursday ahead of a pivotal hearing in Florida at which the judge in the case, Aileen Cannon, is expected to set a trial date. The trial is currently set for May 20, but Cannon indicated months ago that she expected to revisit that date during Friday's hearing.

The trial date in the classified documents prosecution has taken on added significance in light of the uncertainty surrounding a separate federal case in Washington charging Trump with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court said this week that it would hear arguments in late April on whether Trump as a former president is immune from prosecution, leaving it unclear whether that case might reach trial before the November election.

In their motion, defense lawyers made clear to Cannon their strong preference to avoid a trial in the current year while Trump — who faces four separate state and federal prosecutions — is campaigning for the Republican nomination for president.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/federal-prosecutors-seek-july-trial-trump-classified-files-107698984

[Mz Pip]

1. Why can't it start in April?

Is this really that complicated?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Because the SCOTUS is supposed to hear oral arguments about "absolute immunity"

which will impact this case, the week of April 22, and wouldn't be expected to rule right away (although that would be a hope). The worst case assumption is that the SCOTUS would wait until the end of the term (June 28/July 1) to decide.

[Johnny2X2X]

9. No it won't

These were crimes he committed after he was president.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. He's still trying to argue "absolute immunity"

although some of the classified docs issues occurred before he left office (e.g., refusal to turn things when asked right after the 2020 election).

Citing presidential immunity, Trump’s lawyers urge dismissal of classified documents case


Politics Feb 23, 2024 10:01 AM EST

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump urged a Florida judge to dismiss the criminal case charging him with illegally retaining classified documents, claiming in part that presidential immunity protects him from prosecution even as that sweeping argument has so far in failed in federal appeals courts in a separate case.

In one of a slew of motions attacking the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, Trump’s lawyers late Thursday echoed arguments that were roundly rejected by a federal appeals court this month in his 2020 election interference case in Washington. Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in that case as the Republican presidential primary front-runner seeks to delay the trial until after the November election.

Trump’s lawyers wrote that the classified documents charges turn on his alleged decision to designate the papers as “personal” records under the Presidential Records Act, and argued that he cannot be prosecuted since that was an “official act” made while he was still in the White House.

Washington’s federal appeals court in its decision this month was unsparing in its repudiation of Trump’s novel claim that former presidents enjoy absolute immunity for actions that fall within their official job duties. But Trump’s lawyers argued that the appeals court’s decision was wrong, telling U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon she should not follow the court’s “poorly reasoned decision” in the classified documents case.

(snip)

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trumps-lawyers-call-for-dismissal-of-classified-documents-case-citing-presidential-immunity

[onenote]

14. Because there is still a lot to be done before the trial can start.

Jack Smith understands this, even if laypeople don't.
Here's his proposed schedule. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648653/gov.uscourts.flsd.648653.356.1_1.pdf
If there is a way to compress that so the trial can start next month, you should let Smith know.

[Mz Pip]

18. I asked a question

You answered. No need to get snarky. 🙄

[ancianita]

2. Per Lisa Rubin on Joy Reid, the Trump team Aug 12 proposal is intended to block the DC Chutkan trial date.

[gab13by13]

4. There will not be a documents trial this year.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. That case actually has the least amount of stuff to prosecute

and is much less complicated when compared to the January 6 election obstruction case.

[onenote]

15. It actually is quite complicated to try because it involves classified material

There are a lot of pretrial hoops to jump through and there are going to be a lot of witnesses.

Here is Jack Smith's proposed schedule, which illustrates why he's proposing July as the trial start date.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648653/gov.uscourts.flsd.648653.356.1_1.pdf

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Handling classified info for a trial has specific PROCESSES already laid out by statute

and is going to involve a small "subset" of the documents seized (on purpose) in order to limit the scope and length of the trial.

Your link of hearings/motions is irrelevant for what would occur during an actual trial.

The January 6 prosecution is more on the order of a wide-ranging RICO-type thing, with multiple layers of actions, across multiple states, that were alleged to have occurred, that even has a number of un-indicted co-conspirators.

Some of that is noted here - https://abcnews.go.com/US/jan-6-attack-trump-intended-special-counsel-claims/story?id=105398386 and a filing hints at some of the strategy and types of evidence that would be presented (meaning witnesses potentially associated with that as well) - https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.176.0_10.pdf

[Scrivener7]

11. I am betting Cannon'll follow his orders and schedule it so it interferes with the

the Chutkan trial. Then, when that's successful, Cannon will postpone her own case till after the election.

[marble falls]

5. This'll be good. TRS wants it after the RNC Convention, I guess he isn't looking for vindication ...

... aren't they predicting a fairly short trial - weeks, not months?

[riversedge]

7. I can't see Cannon agreeing to July 8. But hope is eternal.

Link to tweet

?s=20

Link to tweet

?s=20

[MadameButterfly]

8. Is anything really going to happen with Cannon on the case?

[Comfortably_Numb]

12. Lifetime appointment. Aileen got over. In the trump tank, err toilet, and incompetent, like most of his lackeys.

[YD Democrat]

13. cannon

what a name, isn't it.

[Novara]

17. There's no way she'll grant Jack Smith's request

She'll fuck up the DC trial schedule.