According to Mediaite, in a significant legal development, Judge Aileen Cannon has ruled on former President Donald Trump’s motion to indefinitely delay his trial, a move that his team hoped would push the trial beyond the upcoming election. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team vehemently opposed Trump’s request, and their blistering filing last Thursday exposed the weaknesses in Team Trump’s arguments for delay.
Despite Trump’s political team’s insistence on postponing the trial to make the charges “go away” until after the election, Judge Cannon has chosen not to grant a delay in its entirety. Instead, she has carefully considered the interests of justice, the public, and the defendants’ right to a speedy trial, as mandated by 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A). In reaching her decision, Judge Cannon took into account the factors outlined in 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(B).
In her ruling, Judge Cannon has granted a partial continuance, recognizing that certain factors warrant a delay. As a result, the trial date has been set for May 20, 2024. However, before the trial begins, a calendar call is scheduled for May 14, 2024, at 1:45 p.m. in the Fort Pierce Division.
The judge has urged both parties to adhere strictly to the pre-trial and trial deadlines, emphasizing the importance of compliance with Local Rules and the Court’s Orders Setting Trial. While the trial date falls within the requested timeframe of Trump’s political team, the ruling demonstrates that the interests of justice and the public’s right to see a fair and timely trial have also been taken into careful consideration.
Following review, it is ORDERED AND ADJUDGED as follows. The Government’s Motion to Continue Trial and Revised Proposed Schedule [ECF No. 34] is GRANTED IN PART for the reasons stated below. The Court finds that the interests of justice served by this continuance outweigh the best interest of the public and Defendants in a speedy trial. 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A). The Court has considered the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(B) in reaching this determination. Having done so, the Court finds that the period of delay resulting from this Case 9:23-cr-80101-AMC Document 83 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/21/2023 Page 1 of 7 CASE NO. 23-80101-CR-CANNON 2 continuance—i.e., from the date the Motion was filed, June 23, 2023, to the date trial commences—is excludable time under the Speedy Trial Act
Cannon appears to have split the baby, setting the trial date for May 20, 2024:
Calendar call in this matter will be held on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 1:45 p.m. in the Fort Pierce Division. The case is set for Jury Trial in the Fort Pierce Division during the two-week trial period commencing on May 20, 2024. The parties shall adhere to the following pre-trial and trial deadlines and are reminded to comply with the Local Rules in all respects and the instructions in the Court’s Orders Setting Trial [ECF Nos. 28, 55] except as superseded by this Order.
