Judge Cannon's latest ruling will almost certainly delay Mar-a-Lago trial past May: expert

Judge Aileen Cannon has ruled against the Department of Justice's attempt to set some key deadlines ahead of Donald Trump's trial.

Special counsel Jack Smith's office had requested the District Court judge set a deadline in December for Trump's legal team to disclose what classified materials they intended to use at trial, but Cannon denied their motion and instead set the deadline for March, which legal experts agreed would almost certainly delay the trial that had been scheduled to start in May.

"When Judge Aileen Cannon decided against moving her May 2024 trial date last week, some cheered while those familiar with classified information cases noted her new motion schedule is virtually incompatible with a May trial (and that she knows it)," said MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin. "Trust them. Here's why: The Classified Information Procedures Act has seven sections, and Cannon's initial schedule for the case allowed for briefing across them all. But her newest order stopped with Section 4."

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The judge ruled that she will not consider scheduling adjustments until after March 1, which Rubin and others who have been covering the case say will necessarily delay the Mar-a-Lago documents trial — and most likely the Georgia election subversion case.

"Going to be very difficult for this trial to remain on track for May 20," said Politico's Kyle Cheney.