Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, July 15, 2023.Marco Bello | ReutersFormer President Donald Trump’s trial on charges of mishandling classified documents will begin on May 20, 2024, a federal judge ordered Friday.Judge Aileen Cannon laid out the schedule three days after defense lawyers argued that the case should not head to trial until after the November 2024 presidential election, due to Trump’s status as a current presidential candidate.The trial will take place in U.S. District Court in Fort Pierce, Florida, Cannon ordered.The ruling from Cannon lands on a middle ground between the requests of Trump’s legal team and the Department of Justice, which had pushed for the trial to begin in late 2023.Polls show Trump is currently leading the 2024 Republican primary field. If the case moves forward as currently scheduled, the trial could come after a slew of key states have already held their nominating contests. The Republican National Conventio …
