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Special prosecutor Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation and criminal case against former President Donald Trump and his assistant Waltine Nauta for crimes related to the handling of classified United States government documents found at their residence in Mar-a-Lago, reported to the court where the judicial process will take place that, in accordance with the rules for speedy trial that are followed, the trial in Florida cannot begin before September 14.
Judge Aileen Cannon, of the federal courts for the southern district of Florida, has set the start of the trial for mid-August, but both the prosecution and the defense have requested more time to prepare well, before the first court hearing.
Until now there has been no response to these requests from the judge, who also established that the trial be held in Fort Pierce, 129 miles north of Miami.
The Speedy Trial Law, under which the judicial process will be developed, requires that both parties submit specific reports on the times they manage and the calendar of dates to manage their stages.
Smith fulfilled his duty in the last few hours by introducing into the file a report in which he estimates that, in accordance with the deadlines set by the Speedy Trial Law, The closest date on which the judicial process can begin is September 14.
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Why is the Speedy Trial Law being used?
The US Constitution guarantees criminal defendants the right to a speedy trial, and defendants in federal cases can start a trial as soon as 70 days after they are charged.
But in most criminal cases, both parties can agree to pause that clock to give themselves more time to prepare.
Special counsel Jack Smith is correct in proposing September instead of August to start the trial, because to the Focusing on Trump’s deliberate refusal to return classified documents may shorten trial and it also serves to undermine his claim that this is selective prosecution, because no one else kept classified documents once the government asked for them back.
This is one of the reasons why Smith made some significant changes to what his indictment promises, such as change the first trial date from August to September under the speedy trial rulesas argued in an article in The National Law Journal.
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To come to that conclusion the prosecutor made a series of calculations based on the deadlines established by the Speedy Trial Law for certain steps prior to the trial.
In June, the special prosecutor asked to delay the trial until December, arguing that the case “involves classified information, so the defense will need to obtain the required security clearances.”
For its part, the defense of Trump (2017-2021) requested on July 10 that a date not yet be set for the trial in the case of the classified documents found at his Florida residence and denied prosecutor Smith’s request to hold it in December.
Lawyers for Trump and his former counsel Nauta asked the judge in charge of the case to deny the government’s proposal to reschedule the trial and to “postpone initial consideration of any new dates until substantial motions have been filed and adjudicated,” according to the court document.
They also suggested that it will be difficult to prepare a proper defense until the 2024 presidential election is held, in which Trump aspires to compete.
A speedy trial in the Trump classified documents case is vital for everyone except perhaps the defendant.
Surely, Voters in the November 2024 election should know if former President Donald Trump is guilty of very serious criminal charges.
Actually, the timeline is much shorter than that. The Republican primaries begin in early 2024 and their convention, where it is defined who will be nominated as the Republican candidate for the Presidency, is in July 2024.
Criminal charge against Trump
Trump was charged in June with 37 federal criminal offenses for mishandling official US government documents and pleaded not guilty in Miami courts.
Of the 37 charges, which fall under seven criminal offences, 31 are for knowingly withholding US defense-related documents, but he is also charged with obstructing justice and “corruptly” concealing documents or records.
Nauta, his personal assistant, also pleaded not guilty to six counts he faces for his role in mishandling classified documents found at the former president’s Florida residence.
Whoever was Trump’s military assistant during his Presidency is pointed out by the Prosecutor’s Office as aNot one of those who moved boxes with official documents inside the Republican mansion in Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach. so that FBI agents and the former president’s lawyers couldn’t find them.
Keep reading:
– Judge refuses to protect names of possible 84 witnesses in trial of Trump for secret documents
– Trump accuses prosecutor Smith, the DOJ and the FBI of leaking audio where he talks about the classified documents
– They add evidence against Trump for secret documents