Trump Mar-a-Lago classified files case: Judge sets 24 May trial date

A federal judge has scheduled ex-President Donald Trump's trial for alleged mishandling of classified documents for spring next year.

Judge Aileen Cannon set the case for 20 May. Mr Trump had wanted the trial postponed until after the November 2024 presidential election.

The high profile case will begin with the election campaign in full swing.

Mr Trump, 77, faces serious charges over the storage of sensitive files at his Florida home.

Prosecutors say Mr Trump illegally kept secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after he left office and obstructed government efforts to retrieve them.

On Friday, Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, said the two-week trial would take place in the Fort Pierce, Florida, district.The former president pleaded not guilty to 37 federal counts during an arraignment in Miami last month.

Mr Trump's personal aide, Walt Nauta, was also charged in the case. He, too, pleaded not guilty.

The initial trial date had initially been set for 14 August, 2023, but it was later postponed until 11 December to give both sides more time to get ready.

But the former president's legal team had argued that the "extraordinary" nature of the case required even more time to prepare, asking the Florida federal court to delay setting a new date for the proceedings altogether. They also cited issues with finding an impartial jury.

The Mar-a-Lago case is one of several legal challenges Mr Trump is facing.

In April, he was charged with falsifying business records in the state of New York. Mr Trump announced this week that he expected to be arrested soon in connection to a federal inquiry into the US 6 January Capitol riot and his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results.

This is a developing story and will be updated