A federal judge in Florida has scheduled the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump on charges of illegal retention of classified government documents to start Aug. 14, “or as soon thereafter as the case may be called.”
The order was signed Tuesday morning by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee.
Cannon’s order said both sides must file pretrial motions by July 24.
The Justice Department’s special counsel in the case, Jack Smith, promised a speedy trial after a 37-count indictment charging Trump with willfully retaining classified government records and obstructing justice.
But the complexities of handling highly classified evidence, the degree to which Trump’s legal team challenges the government’s pretrial motions, and the way the judge manages the schedule could all lead to a trial that is anything but swift, legal experts say.
And there is no guarantee the trial will start on the scheduled date, experts say.
Cannon’s order came after a U.S. judge on Monday ordered Trump’s defense lawyers not to release evidence in the classified documents case to the media or the public, according to a court filing.
That order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart also put strict conditions on Trump’s access to the materials.