Judge Cannon holds hearing in Trump classified docs case amid postponed trial

United States District Judge Aileen Cannon held a hearing on Wednesday in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.

Trump is facing 40 felony charges for allegedly taking classified documents and obstructing the federal government's attempts to retrieve those records. According to the superseding indictment, the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized "102 documents with classification markings" from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022.

'A personal and political attack against President Trump.'

Wednesday's hearing in Florida's Fort Pierce courthouse marks the first movement in the case since the judge's decision earlier this month to indefinitely postpone the trial, citing numerous unresolved pretrial motions. Cannon's decision followed the prosecution's admission that the case's evidence was not adequately maintained. Some documents were no longer in the same order as the day they were seized. Additionally, the prosecution admitted that the colored cover sheets that indicated various classification levels were not found in Trump's possession but were brought in by the investigators and used as placeholders.

Special Counsel Jack Smith's team attempted to explain the out-of-order evidence, noting that some items contained in the boxes were smaller than others and were likely accidentally shifted around when carried.

In a footnote, Smith's team stated, "The Government acknowledges that this is inconsistent with what Government counsel previously understood and represented to the Court."

Trump's legal team previously filed a motion to dismiss the case, claiming that the indictment is "a personal and political attack against President Trump" with a "litany of uncharged grievances both for public and media consumption."

During the Wednesday hearing, Cannon was scheduled to hear dismissal arguments from Trump's legal team. Trump was not expected to attend.

Cannon will also hear arguments to dismiss the charges against Trump's co-defendant, Waltine Nauta, who served as Trump's valet at the White House and later his personal aide at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump and his two co-defendants, including Nauta, pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

The defense's motion filed in February alleged that the raid was "unconstitutional" and that the evidence seized was an "unlawful violation of President Trump's attorney-client privilege by the Special Counsel's Office." Attorney General Merrick Garland authorized the raid on Trump's estate.

The prosecution claimed, "The warrant was supported by a detailed affidavit that established probable cause and did not omit any material information. And the warrant provided ample guidance to the FBI agents who conducted the search. Trump identifies no plausible basis to suppress the fruits of that search."

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