Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order on Tuesday afternoon setting a second set of "pre-trial deadlines/hearings" in the case dealing with former President Donald Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and, perhaps most notably, indefinitely postponed the start date for a trial.
The second set of deadlines to "manage pending discovery and disclosure matters, adjudicate pre-trial motions before the Court, and advance through additional stages of the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA)" set by Judge Cannon on Tuesday range from a May 8 hearing on grand jury matters to a supplemental CIPA hearing on July 22.
According to Judge Cannon, the court determined "that finalization of a trial date at this juncture—before resolution of the myriad and interconnected pre-trial and CIPA issues remaining and forthcoming—would be imprudent and inconsistent with the Court’s duty to fully and fairly consider the various pending pre-trial motions before the Court, critical CIPA issues, and additional pretrial and trial preparations necessary to present this case to a jury."
BREAKING NEWS: Trump Classified Documents Case DELAYED INDEFINITELY! pic.twitter.com/5IcxmtcL9E
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 7, 2024
As a result of that determination, Judge Cannon vacated the "current May 20, 2024, trial date (and associated calendar call), to be reset by separate order following resolution of the matters before the Court, consistent with Defendants' right to due process and the public's interest in the fair and efficient administration of justice."
Judge Cannon also explained that there are "eight substantive pretrial motions," "extensive defense motions to compel discovery on a host of issues spanning hundreds of pages of classified and unclassified briefing and exhibits," "a contested motion to define and enforce the scope of the prosecution team for discovery purposes," and "partially resolved CIPA § 4 litigation requiring a supplemental hearing to be set following resolution of certain aspects of Defendants’ pending motions to compel."
The current state of play, Judge Cannon concluded, means that "the ends of justice served by this continuance, through the last deadline specified in this Order, July 22, 2024, outweigh the best interest of the public and Defendants in a speedy trial" and said the indefinite delay of a start date will "permit adequate time for hearings and adjudication of substantive pretrial motions, discovery disputes, and CIPA issues, many of which present novel and difficult questions."