Judge Aileen Cannon wants Trump's trial over his classified documents scandal to be wrapped up by September
- A district judge in Florida wants Trump's classified documents trial to start August 14.
- It would last two weeks, but the dates are likely to change.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday released a proposed timeline for former President Donald Trump's trial over his keeping of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago— setting an aggressive schedule of wrapping up the proceedings before September.
Cannon, the Trump-appointed judge presiding over the trial, released an order saying she expects the trial to start August 14 "or as soon thereafter as the case may be called" and to last two weeks.
The particular district where the case is being heard is known for its quick deliberations, though experts are skeptical about such a quick timeline given that both parties are likely to ask for delays so they can have enough time to prepare for the trial.
Cannon on Tuesday asked the defense and prosecutors to file any pre-trial motions before July 24. The trial is set to be held at the courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida — the same courthouse where Cannon, 42, typically works.
Should the trial begin on August 14 or soon after, it could coincide with the first Republican debate, set for August 23. Trump, who is running for the 2024 nomination and is the clear frontrunner, hasn't pledged to participate. He has vowed not to drop out of the race regardless of any legal deliberations.
The more than dozen GOP opponents in the race have faced numerous questions about the documents case, and their answers have ranged from calling for Trump to pull out of the race to pledges to pardon Trump if elected president.
Federal prosecutors are charging Trump, 77, with 37 criminal counts related to his keeping of classified documents after his presidency at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Palm Beach, Florida, according to the unsealed indictment.
Among the charges are obstruction of justice and false statements, which could carry decades of prison time.
The precise content of the 31 documents that are the subject of the indictment aren't clear. The records contain information about US nuclear programs and "potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack," among other secrets, according to the indictment.
As the judge assigned the case, Cannon will have the power to shape how the case moves forward, will decide whether to dismiss some or all of the counts before the case goes to trial, choose which jurors to seat, and decide the scope of the evidence and legal arguments the lawyers can bring before a jury.
She'll also be responsible for determining what Trump's sentence would be if a jury finds him guilty.
In a widely criticized ruling last year, Cannon determined that an independent arbiter known as a special master should review the documents that the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago. The decision was reversed in a scathing opinion by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Trump pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Miami on June 13. US Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman ordered prosecutors to come up with a list of witnesses with whom Trump could not discuss his case unless it's through his lawyers.
Trump told Fox News in an interview that aired Monday that he didn't return the boxes of documents because he had been "very busy" and wanted to go through them to separate out his personal belongings.
This is the second pending criminal case against Trump. In April, the Manhattan district attorney's office brought a 34-count indictment against him, accusing him of illegally falsifying business records with payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, ahead of the 2016 election. Trump pleaded not guilty in that case and has denied having an affair.