Trial Date Postponed Indefinitely in Trump Case Amidst Evidence Handling Concerns
The trial date for the case involving former President Donald Trump and allegations regarding classified documents has been indefinitely postponed by United States District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, a Trump appointee. Judge Cannon cited the need to address several pre-trial motions before setting a new date in her ruling on Tuesday.
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s unsealing of a superseding indictment in July 2023, which included charges against Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker, prompted the delay. This occurred after the initial indictment against Trump and aide Walter Nauta in June 2023.
BREAKING: Judge CANNON has indefinitely postponed Donald Trump's trial date in Florida.
It may be months before we know the new schedule.https://t.co/SScVNc0KAD pic.twitter.com/xnmlCjK92X
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) May 7, 2024
“The Court determines that finalization of a trial date at this juncture would be imprudent and inconsistent with the Court’s duty to fully and fairly consider the various pending pre-trial motions before the Court,” Judge Cannon stated, emphasizing the importance of addressing critical issues before proceeding with the tria
Concerns regarding evidence handling emerged following Smith’s Friday afternoon filing, where he acknowledged discrepancies in the maintenance of evidence obtained during the August 2022 raid on Mar-a-Lago. Smith admitted that some boxes containing evidence were not properly maintained, leading to a potential compromise in the integrity of the evidence.
Trump’s attorneys responded swiftly, filing a motion to address the reported violations and indicating the likelihood of filing additional motions. They expressed surprise at the prosecution team’s failure to maintain the integrity of the evidence, despite ample resources at their disposal.
“These issues implicate President Trump’s motion to suppress evidence seized from Mar-a-Lago and the motion to dismiss based on prosecutorial misconduct,” Trump’s attorneys stated, highlighting the significance of the evidence mishandling allegations in the case.
NEW: Judge Cannon officially vacates May 20 trial date, says setting a new date with so many outstanding matters would be “imprudent.” pic.twitter.com/A8QwNmuQ6o
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) May 7, 2024
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
