Former President Donald Trump reportedly petitioned a federal court on Monday evening to postpone his classified documents prosecution until after the 2024 presidential election, arguing that holding the trial before that time would be unjust.
Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are now polling substantially ahead of their respective party’s candidates, and the 2024 presidential election is less than 1 1/2 years away.
Trump and Nauta filed a joint court document in the Southern District of Florida U.S. District Court after the Department of Justice asked the court to push out the trial’s start date by almost four months, until mid-December.
Trump’s attorneys claimed that “the Court now presides over a prosecution advanced by the administration of a sitting President against his chief political rival, himself a leading candidate for the Presidency of the United States.”
However, Trump and Nauta contend such notion is “unrealistic” and ask the court to delay setting the date of the criminal trial in their 12-page court brief. They offer a comprehensive list of justifications for why they think action is required.
The co-defendants would have more time to prepare and explore all available options for getting the case dismissed if the trial date announcement was postponed. Additionally, postponing it until after the election would increase Trump’s ability to defend himself if he were to win the presidency.
The judge overseeing Trump’s lawsuit involving confidential data last week given his defense team until July 13 to gather delicate evidence that will be the main focus of his trial.
Trump entered a not guilty plea to 37 federal charges last month in the case involving the secret materials.
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