Special counsel calls for a speedy trial in Trump’s documents case

Special counsel Jack Smith pushes for a speedy trial in federal case against former President Donald Trump, rejecting arguments for delay until after the 2024 presidential election.

Overview of the case: Trump faces felony charges for allegedly retaining national security information, including classified papers in his Florida resort.
* The special counsel asserts that postponing the trial until after the 2024 presidential election, where Trump is seeking the Republican nomination, would not be justified.
* Trump and his valet Walt Nauta, who is also implicated in the case, have both pleaded not guilty.

Legal arguments: Smith dismisses one of Trump’s legal directions as “frivolous,” stressing there is no concrete evidence that waiting until after the election will smooth the process.
* Smith regards the defense plan to invoke the Presidential Records Act as baseless, emphasizing that this post-Watergate law doesn’t authorize hoarding of national security secrets.
* Trump’s attorneys, Christopher Kise and Todd Blanche, contended that the trial during the election could affect both the election outcome and the defendants’ ability for a fair trail.

Prosecution’s stand: Federal prosecutors disagree with the idea of delaying the trial extensively, calling out potential challenges to the special counsel’s authority as futile.
* Smith and assistant special counsel David Harbach state that indictments for these charges do not necessitate an indefinite deferral of the trial date.

Next steps and challenges: Lawyers for the Justice Department, Trump, and Nauta are scheduled to appear in federal court in Ft. Pierce, Fla., for a hearing on classified information procedures in the case.
* Despite the volume of documents and video footage related to the case, both lawyers underscored a database of about 4,500 documents needed for the case.
* The sharing of around 340 classified documents from the Mar-a-Lago resort is expected to commence after defense lawyers obtain needed security clearances.

View original article on NPR

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