Today the Special Counsel, Jack Smith, and the Trump team met in Ft Pierce, FL before Judge Cannon to discuss and set a date for the Trump Classified Documents trial. Attorneys arguing the case on Trump’s behalf state that he is campaigning for President and that’s what All this is about. While the Special Counsel says he is Not a President any longer and “he is not different than any other busy, important person.” They want to start the trial in December 2023 and do not consider it All that complex.
Trump and his attorneys are currently stone-walling the proposed December date until after the election. As an example Nauta the other charged defendant not being able to obtain a certified Florida attorney. This took an extra two and half weeks to get him in to plead his case. Followed by Trump’s attorneys’ having to submit their security clearance applications so that they can view the classified documents that were in possession of their client. Not only is this a stalling tactic but also one where I believe his attorneys’ Do Not Want to divulge their personal information to the federal government. Those applications ask for very personal information about yourself, family members, and friends. Then someone conducting the background check Will be following up on those connections and ask further in-depth questions. They had initially squawked about having a trial without ever seeing the classified documents. Now they realize what’s involved! Background checks are required for anyone involved in obtaining a security clearance from the federal government.
Trump is asking for the trial to be delayed until after the election! Where if elected he may “pardon” himself. There is no law or even an interpretation of the law for this special circumstance which through now has been Trump’s and the Republicans’ argument as “unprecedented.”. They both believe that the President is actually above the law!
Judge Cannon during the hearing seems to have been leaning towards Trump’s request to have the trial postponed until past the 2024 election. Judge Cannon is a Trump appointee and had initially sided with Trump during his first review of the documentation by appointing a Master Counsel. She was overruled at the time by a higher court once the DOJ submitted its complaints on her ruling. So, I am going to assume she is under scrutiny in the case. But then again “why did the prosecution choose Miami for the trial.” Why didn’t they protest when she was assigned to adjudicate the case? They could have easily required her to recuse herself! The next few days will be very telling for the direction of the case. The Special Counsel needs to have their evidence in order and be prepared to make a compelling case.