The trial against Donald Trump in Florida on charges of illegally storing classified documents after leaving office as president of the United States has been postponed indefinitely, a judge decided on Tuesday.
The decision greatly reduces the chances of him facing a jury in either of the two federal criminal cases he faces before the Nov. 5 election.
Trump, who is seeking to regain the presidency, was set to go to trial on May 20 in the case involving documents filed by special counsel Jack Smith, but both the prosecution and defense decided the date would have to be pushed back.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, appointed to the bench by Trump in 2020, said Tuesday that the trial would no longer begin on May 20, but she did not set a new date.
Cannon scheduled pre-trial hearings that will last until July 22.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 40 federal charges accusing him of retaining sensitive national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office in 2021 and obstructing government efforts to recover them.
Currently, he is listed as the Republican candidate who will challenge Democratic President Joe Biden, after his defeat four years ago.
Smith faces significant hurdles in getting either of the two federal cases against Trump to trial before the election. Cannon has not yet ruled on several legal issues crucial to the documents case and has noted her support for the former president's defense on some issues.
In a separate case brought by Smith over Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, the Supreme Court appears willing to recognize that former presidents have at least some immunity from prosecution over official actions.
This outcome could further delay Trump's election-related case as lower courts determine which allegations against him are covered by that legal shield.
The charges in the Florida case include violations of the Espionage Act, which criminalizes unauthorized possession of national defense information, as well as conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements to investigators.
In an April Reuters/Ipsos poll, nearly a quarter of Republican respondents and more than half of independents indicated they would not vote for Trump if a jury convicted him of a felony.
