Judge postpones Trump's classified documents trial

A justice has indefinitely postponed Donald Trump's national proceedings successful Florida implicit his alleged mishandling of classified documents portion successful office.

US District Judge Aileen Cannon said that mounting a proceedings day earlier resolving important questions implicit proceedings grounds would beryllium "imprudent".

Her tribunal bid connected Tuesday cancelled the 20 May 2024 commencement day she had antecedently acceptable for the proceedings.

The proceedings is present improbable to statesman earlier the 5 November US election.

Mr Trump's lawyers person projected that the proceedings beryllium held aft his statesmanlike rematch with Joe Biden, his successor successful the White House. Prosecutors meantime person pushed for it to instrumentality spot this year.

But the 20 May day acceptable by Judge Cannon appeared little and little apt to clasp amid slow-moving deliberations implicit aggregate pre-trial issues.

The erstwhile president is accused of keeping top-secret documents successful his possession aft leaving office, alternatively than returning them to the National Archives arsenic prescribed by law.

Government prosecutors person besides alleged that helium past obstructed efforts to instrumentality backmost the documents, including by plotting to erase information video astatine his Mar-a-Lago property successful Florida.

Mr Trump has denied immoderate wrongdoing and has pleaded not blameworthy to the 40 felony counts against him, which scope from conspiracy to obstruct justness to making mendacious statements.

Also charged alongside him are his idiosyncratic adjutant Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira, a spot manager astatine Mar-a-Lago. Both men person besides pleaded not guilty.

Defence lawyers and prosecuting attorneys person repeatedly tussled successful tribunal implicit what classified grounds tin beryllium presented astatine trial, prompting a bid of delays.

Some ineligible commentators person besides suggested that Judge Cannon, who has often sided with Mr Trump's arguments, is deliberately slow-walking the lawsuit connected behalf of the antheral who appointed her to the court.

In her Tuesday filing, the justice scheduled further hearings implicit pending concerns, including 1 successful precocious July, and declined to acceptable a caller day for the proceedings to begin.

Finalising a proceedings day astatine this juncture, she wrote, "would beryllium imprudent and inconsistent with the Court's work to afloat and reasonably see the assorted pending pre-trial motions earlier the Court".

"The Court truthful vacates the existent May 20, 2024, proceedings day (and associated calendar call), to beryllium reset by abstracted bid pursuing solution of the matters earlier the Court," she added.

Mr Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, is facing dozens of charges crossed 3 different transgression cases and is presently connected proceedings successful New York.

But helium is besides awaiting a Supreme Court ruling connected his claims of statesmanlike immunity, a determination helium has argued could power each the transgression cases against him.