A jury trial in the Justice Department’s case against former President Donald Trump over his handling of classified documents is set to convene August 14, Judge Aileen Cannon ordered Tuesday—a day after Trump defended his alleged refusal to return the documents by suggesting he did not have time to do so.
Former President Donald Trump gestures after delivering remarks at Trump National Golf Club in ... [+]
Cannon set the trial date in an order laying out the case calendar, including a July 24 deadline for filing pre-trial motions.
The South Florida federal court where the case is being heard operates under a speedy trial clock that typically requires a trial or conviction within 70 days.
Trump pleaded not guilty last Tuesday to 37 felony counts related to his handling of classified documents after leaving office, including 31 counts of violating an Espionage Act provision that prohibits willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
Trump on Monday said he did not have time to sort through the boxes he took with him to Mar-A-Lago and separate the classified documents that were later discovered in his possession, telling Fox News’ Brett Baier “I want to go through the boxes and get all my personal things out. I don’t want to hand that over to [the National Archives and Records Administration] yet. And I was very busy.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.