Donald Trump’s legal team is shifting their focus to the case involving classified documents that the former president allegedly retained at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. This move comes after Trump was recently found guilty of 34 felonies in his New York trial. The other two cases against Trump related to the 2020 election interference are currently on hold due to appeals, making the documents case the primary concern.
The legal proceedings in the documents case have faced numerous delays as Trump’s lawyers continuously file motions and seek extensions from the presiding judge, Aileen Cannon. Despite these delays, Trump’s legal strategy appears to be centered around postponing any trials until after the 2024 election, hoping for a re-election that could potentially lead to the dismissal of charges.
In a recent development, Judge Cannon granted Trump’s request to strike a paragraph from the indictment that described an incident where Trump waved around a classified document at his Bedminster golf club. This decision indicates the judge’s stance on certain aspects of the case and sets the stage for future legal arguments.
Moving forward, Trump’s lawyers are expected to challenge the admissibility of certain pieces of evidence, including incriminating statements recalled by Trump’s former lawyer, Evan Corcoran. These notes, detailing Trump’s actions regarding a grand jury subpoena for classified documents, are crucial to the prosecution’s case and could impact the outcome of the trial.
The upcoming hearings will likely focus on the application of the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege, which allowed prosecutors access to the notes in question. Trump’s defense team contends that this exception was improperly applied and will seek to have the evidence expunged from the case, potentially weakening the obstruction charges against Trump.
As the legal battle continues in the documents case, both sides are gearing up for a series of arguments and hearings that will shape the trajectory of the trial. With the possibility of key evidence being excluded and the judge’s rulings playing a significant role, the outcome of this case remains uncertain. Trump’s lawyers are poised to leverage any opportunities presented by the legal proceedings to secure a favorable outcome for their client.