WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The federal judge overseeing the trial of former President Donald Trump for his mishandling of the classified documents case has set a trial date for May 20, according to a court order on Friday.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who sits in Fort Pierce, Fla., puts Trump’s criminal trial less than six months before the November 2024 U.S. presidential election. Trump is the current front-runner for the Republican nomination in the race.
Federal prosecutors working for U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith at a Tuesday hearing had asked Cannon to schedule the trial for December, while Trump’s lawyers said a date was not yet necessary.
The trial had originally been scheduled for August 14 – a date the defense and prosecution disagreed on because they said they needed more time to prepare.
(Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Jacqueline Thomsen; Editing by Doina Chiacu)