(LibertySons.org) – The legal team for former President Donald Trump has asked, once again, that the judge presiding over his classified documents trial delay proceedings until after the election. They say that due to the nature of the case, there isn’t enough time to go through all of the evidence, some of which isn’t readily accessible because the files are protected. Special Counsel Jack Smith just filed a 12-page response explaining why he disagrees.
Smith submitted his response on October 9, opening with the claim that Trump’s team had unsuccessfully attempted to delay the trial three months earlier. The New York Times reports that the defense insisted they needed an indefinite pause moving forward because they were struggling with the case’s complex details. The judge rejected the request, leaving the trial’s starting date at May 20, 2024.
Trump’s team alleges that access to discovery items is limited, but Smith states that most of the evidence is already available to the defense. Officials can make arrangements for the review of protected materials, he adds, noting that both parties still have seven months to build their cases. He also clarifies that certain members of Trump’s defense team have the clearance necessary to review all of the documents relevant to the case. A small percentage of the files require added security — only to be viewed in special facilities, where officials can ensure continued protection over their content — but Smith insists the appropriate officials have made such facilities available. He called the defense’s allegations “unfounded” and described them as “distorted and exaggerated.”
Trump and lawyer Waltine Nauta currently face 38 felony counts for mishandling classified documents pertaining to US national defense and attempting to conceal and retain the files in the former president’s private residence. They also stand accused of moving boxes in an effort to hide the evidence from the court and make them unavailable to a federal grand jury. If convicted, they could serve between 5 and 20 years in prison for each of the numerous counts.
~Here’s to Our Liberty!
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