A car carrying former US President Donald Trump is driven towards Alto Lee Adams Sr. US Courthouse on March 01, 2024 in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers on Friday urged a federal court judge in Florida to schedule his criminal trial on charges related to the retention of classified documents after the November presidential election, saying it would “unfair” to have earlier.
Trump’s lawyers, at a hearing, called prosecutors’ new proposal for a July 8 start date for that trial “totally unfeasible” and “impossible” for Trump, who is the front-runner. for the Republican presidential nomination, according to NBC News.
Defense attorneys noted that Trump, who attended the Fort Pierce court hearing, is scheduled to appear in New York state court beginning March 25 on charges of falsifying business records related to a hush paying money to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Attorneys for Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump, argued to Judge Aileen Cannon that the former president knew about the hush money trial date for months, but only now calls for a long delay in the Florida case.
Cannon concluded the hearing Friday afternoon without issuing a decision on when to schedule the trial.
Trump is accused in the Florida case of keeping classified documents after leaving the White House in January 2021, and of obstructing efforts by government officials to recover those records, which are stored in his private club at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
He is not guilty.