The federal judge overseeing the classified documents case against former US President Donald Trump has decided the criminal trial will begin on May 20, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Judge Aileen Cannon announced the schedule of the trial in a document filed in federal court on Friday, according to NBC News.
The timing of the trial is a few months after the period special counsel Jack Smith had asked but is a blow to the former president, who wanted to delay the court proceedings until after the presidential election.
The announcement by Cannon comes after federal prosecutors and defence attorneys argued in favour of their preferred timelines at a hearing earlier this week in Fort Pierce.
Smith had requested a start date of December 11, while Trump’s team said the trial should be pushed back until after the election.
Cannon, a Trump appointee, had initially scheduled the trial to begin on August 14.
In recent filings, special counsel prosecutors called for the case to proceed “expeditiously,” while Trump’s lawyers urged Cannon to postpone the trial until after Election Day 2024.
They had argued that the December trial date sought by the government would be “unreasonable” and “result in a miscarriage of justice.”
Trump faces 37 counts tied to allegations that he willfully retained national defence information, conspired to obstruct justice and made false statements.
Also, Walt Nauta, a former White House valet, faces six felony counts stemming from allegations that he helped Trump hide top secret national security files from investigators after leaving the White House.
Meanwhile, both Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty.
