Jack Smith's team tries to head off possible new Trump trial delays: report

On the heels of a superseding indictment that has increased Donald Trump's federal charges from 37 to an even 40 in the classified documents case, special counsel Jack Smith's team of investigators has told Judge Aileen Cannon they see no reason it should result in a new trial date delay.

In a column for MSNBC, legal analyst Jordan Rubin suggested that Cannon might attempt to bump the Trump trial in Florida next year due to the newly filed charges of failing to return government documents, obstruction of justice, and for a “presentation” of classified information shown to a non-authorized person.

According to Rubin, Smith's team preemptively made the case against further delays.

"Special counsel Jack Smith’s team anticipated the issue in a separate filing Thursday, titled 'Notice Regarding Superseding Indictment," he wrote before adding, "In it, prosecutors wrote that the new indictment 'should not disturb' Judge AileenCannon’s scheduling order or the May 20, 2024, trial date, and 'the Special Counsel's Office is taking steps related to discovery and security clearances to ensure that it does not do so.'"

Rubin added, "No doubt, Smith’s team will do what it can to put itself in the strongest position. But as the setting of that May trial date reminds us, there’s only so much prosecutors can do," before noting that the Trump-appointed judge "isn’t automatically hewing to Smith’s (or Trump's) proposed timeline."

Rubin said that Cannon has no overriding reason to grant a delay, writing, "Judges are used to dealing with these situations, and they don’t need to blow up the schedule."

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