The Trump case of improper handling of confidential documents will start trial in May next year! Or it may affect their campaign activities, and the case has been settled | by the President | for handling
A federal court judge in Florida, USA, ordered on May 21st that the jury trial in the case of former President Donald Trump's improper handling of classified documents will begin on May 20th next year.
This date is not ideal for both the plaintiff and the defendant. The Trump legal team hopes to hold a trial after the next presidential election in November next year to mitigate the potential negative impact on the Trump campaign. As the special prosecutor team for the prosecution, it is requested that the trial be held in December of this year.
Federal District Court Judge Erin Cannon ultimately made a seemingly compromise decision. She said that choosing to start the trial in May next year can give both the prosecution and defense sufficient time to review their own evidence and prepare their defense, as both sides have presented over 1.1 million pages of evidence documents.
This is a portion of the footage taken on August 26, 2022, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation submitting a written testimony to the court during a search of former President Trump's residence at Sealake Estate. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Jie
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According to US media reports, Cannon was a federal judge appointed during Trump's presidency and was randomly assigned to handle this sensitive case.
A spokesperson for Trump welcomed the judge's decision as he did not follow the prosecutor's request, stating that it had set back the Department of Justice's campaign to deprive Trump of his right to fair legal process.
The jury trial, which will start in May next year, will take place in Piersburg, Florida, a city located approximately 210 kilometers north of Miami. Its constituency supported Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
This is a photo of President Trump attending a campaign rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA on September 3, 2020. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Jie
![The Trump case of improper handling of confidential documents will start trial in May next year! Or it may affect their campaign activities, and the case has been settled | by the President | for handling](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/0b8eb820d9af1c44e747e1d8ddd201d9.jpg)
Although Trump, who is now 77 years old, failed to win re-election in the 2020 election and became the first former president in US history to face criminal charges, he still maintained a leading position in the Republican presidential nomination race after announcing his candidacy for the next president. When the trial begins in mid May next year, it coincides with the end of the Republican Party's internal primaries for selecting presidential candidates.
The Associated Press cited an analysis by Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in the United States, stating that the Trump team may attempt to further postpone the start date of the trial. Furthermore, the trial itself does not prevent him from continuing his campaign, but it is expected to last for weeks or even months, during which he may need to appear in court from time to time.
Trump is accused of illegally taking a large amount of confidential documents from the Pentagon, national security, and intelligence agencies away from the White House and scattering them in his Florida residence, Sealake Estate, after stepping down as president, and refusing to cooperate in returning those confidential documents. As a result, he faces 31 criminal charges of "intentionally retaining defense information," with any one punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He is also charged with conspiring to obstruct justice, intercepting documents or archives, and making false statements, with the first two penalties both capped at 20 years in prison. Trump pleaded not guilty to any of these accusations.
This is a photo taken on January 6, 2021 in Washington, USA, of Trump supporters participating in a demonstration in front of Congress. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Jie
![The Trump case of improper handling of confidential documents will start trial in May next year! Or it may affect their campaign activities, and the case has been settled | by the President | for handling](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/c94bc5940c3157891bbce2239b3c44c7.jpg)
The special prosecutor appointed by the Department of Justice is also investigating whether Trump incited his supporters to storm Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to overthrow Democratic candidate Joseph Biden as president. Trump himself recently revealed that he has received a letter officially informing him of the aforementioned investigation. According to American media interpretation, this usually means that special prosecutors may soon file criminal charges against them.
In addition, Georgia formed a grand jury earlier this month to confirm whether to file a lawsuit against Trump and his Republican allies for attempting to overturn his defeat in the state.
Trump also faces multiple serious charges in New York State Court, including forging business records, for paying a "sealing fee" to a pornographic star during his first presidential campaign. The case is scheduled to start trial on March 25th next year.