On Friday (June 23), Special Counsel Jack Smith requested that former President Donald Trump’s trial about the classified documents be postponed from August to December by special counsel Jack Smith.
Smith requested that the trial starts on December 11, approximately four months after the date initially set by Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday — August 14.
According to the filing, Trump’s legal team must obtain temporary security clearances as the case involves confidential information. This will result in additional time needed to analyze and handle the evidence collected by the government.
Smith’s request also suggests that more time is necessary for legal proceedings under the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA). The act allows parties involved in cases regarding classified information to request a pretrial conference that would address any potential issues related to the case’s prosecution.
In addition, Smith’s office filed a motion to request a pretrial hearing regarding other CIPA-related issues. The motion clarifies that CIPA will dictate how the court oversees the discovery process of classified information and establishes a framework for determining the use and admissibility of classified information during Trump’s trial.
Earlier this week, the special counsel’s office provided all unclassified information to Trump’s counsel. This includes evidence obtained through subpoenas and search warrants, grand jury testimony, witness interviews, key documents, and copies of footage. The government believes these items are crucial to their case.
The filing states that despite “the prompt production the government has arranged,” it would be “reasonable and appropriate” for more time to be allotted for “defense counsel to review and digest the discovery, to make their own decisions about any production to the government, and for the government to review the same.”
