Prosecutors in Trump documents case suffer setback

The judge in the Trump classified documents case, Aileen Cannon, dealt a blow to prosecutors Tuesday when she denied a request to speed up the process of evidence sharing.

Jack Smith apparently wanted a response from former President Donald Trump's legal team about a protective order for disclosing classified evidence, but his motion to compel such a response was dismissed without prejudice by the judge.

Unclassified evidence in the case has already been shared, but classified evidence requires more care so that the public doesn't become privy to the information.

Members of Trump's legal team are still working on obtaining security clearances so they can view the evidence and defend Trump effectively.

Smith requested a trial date of Dec. 11 because of the security clearance issues, but Cannon this week determined that the proceedings would not begin until May of 2024.

In the Florida district where the trial will take place, two weeks are normally given for the sharing of evidence.