Trump lawyers ask judge to postpone trial without setting a date in classified documents case
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event, Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP/John Locher
MIAMI — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are asking a judge to postpone his criminal trial without setting a new date as he stands accused of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate.
In a late Monday filing, Trump's defense attorneys said the case was “extraordinary," with a large volume of documents and footage to be reviewed as the former president leads the race for the Republican nomination to unseat President Joe Biden. They cited challenges to select jurors and concerns about whether he would get a fair trial if scheduled before the November 2024 election.
“The government’s request to begin a trial of this magnitude within six months of indictment is unreasonable, telling, and would result in a miscarriage of justice,” said the document filed by Chris Kise, one of Trump's lawyers.
The Justice Department had previously proposed to set the trial date for Dec. 11.
Earlier on Monday, Trump's lawyers filed paperwork saying they agreed with federal prosecutors to delay to next week a pretrial hearing that specifically discusses how classified information is handled in court.
The hearing to discuss the Classified Information Procedures Act had previously been set for Friday. But an attorney for Trump's valet Walt Nauta, who was charged alongside the former president, said he has another bench trial this week in Washington preventing him from appearing Friday in South Florida.
The attorneys said in their filing that they can appear at the pretrial conference to go over the 1980 law on July 18, adding they had also checked with U.S. attorneys on moving the date.
Walt Nauta, a valet to former President Donald Trump who is charged with helping the ex-president hide classified documents the Justice Department wanted back, leaves following his arraignment, at the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building in Miami, Thursday, July 6, 2023. Credit: AP/Rebecca Blackwell
The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, agreed to the new date on Tuesday.
Trump and Nauta were charged in a 38-count indictment with conspiring to hide classified documents at Mar-a-Lago from federal investigators. Both men have pleaded not guilty.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has slammed the prosecution as an effort to hurt his bid to reclaim the White House in 2024.
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
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