Judge postpones Donald Trump classified documents trial indefinitely

Donald Trump faces 40 charges in the Mar-a-Lago case

Former President Donald Trump faces a legal battle over classified documents retrieved from Mar-a-Lago.

A federal judge postponed indefinitely Tuesday the trial of former President Donald Trump on charges he hoarded classified documents after leaving the White House.

US District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that finalizing a trial date without first resolving disputes about classified documents “would be imprudent and inconsistent” with preparations to present the case to a jury.

Cannon had tentatively scheduled the trial to start May 20 but removed that date without setting a new one. She said she would set a new date that takes into account Trump’s right to a fair trial and the public’s right to the fair and efficient administration of justice.

The decision is a victory for Trump, who sought to postpone all four pending criminal cases against him until after the 2024 presidential election. Trump contends all of the cases represent election interference and that they are keeping him off the campaign trail against President Joe Biden.

Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith’s office declined comment on the decision.

Trump faces four criminal trials, including the one under way in New York state court on charges he falsified business records to hide hush money payments to a porn actress before the 2016 election.

Each of the other cases has run into delays.

Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the classified document charges in Florida, also has election interference charges pending in Washington, DC

But that trial, which was initially scheduled to start March 4, has been postponed until the Supreme Court decides whether Trump is immune from criminal charges for actions he took while he was president. A potential June decision in that case could push that trial to late summer or even later.

In Georgia, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee has not set a date for a trial on election racketeering charges. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis proposed to start Aug. 5, but McAfee questioned starting a four- or five-month trial that would overlap with the election.