The Florida judge presiding over Donald Trump’s prosecution for allegedly mishandling classified documents said Tuesday that a federal trial of the former president could start as soon as Aug. 14.
That would collide with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ announcement — also expected in August— of possible meddling in the 2020 election is Georgia.
So, is Trump facing a legal logjam in August?
Maybe not.
Legal experts said the federal timetable, laid out out by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, is likely to be delayed by a slew of pretrial motions and appeals from both sides as well as questions over how to handle the classified material at the center of the federal case.
“There is no way in the world the trial happens then,” said Michael J. Moore, a federal prosecutor during the Obama administration who is based in Middle Georgia. “I think a delay is not just likely but a certainty.”
“I really have a very hard time seeing it happening before 2024... and then the political calendar throws in more issues,” Georgia State University law professor Anthony Micahel Kreis said in a social media post.
Trump was charged earlier this month on 37 counts alleging he took classified papers from the White House to his Florida estate after leaving office and then obstructed efforts by authorities to reclaim them. He pleaded not guilty.
Trump has also been indicted in Manhattan for falsifiying business records to cover up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. That trial is set to take place in March 2024.
In Georgia, Willis is completing a long-running investigation into whether Trump and his supporters meddled in the 2020 election. She has hinted strongly that Trump will charged.
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