A federal judge in Florida has set the trial of former President Donald Trump in the case involving his management of classified documents to begin on August 14.

“U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon bookmarked the last two weeks in August for the historic trial, part of an omnibus order setting some early ground rules and deadlines for the case. That would represent a startlingly rapid pace for a case that is expected to be complicated and require lengthy pretrial wrangling over extraordinarily sensitive classified secrets,” Politico reported.

“But a review of Cannon’s criminal cases, since she took the bench in late 2020, suggests this is standard practice for the Florida-based judge. She typically sets trial dates six to eight weeks from the start of a case, only to allow weeks- or months-long delays as issues arise and the parties demand more time to prepare. While her order on Tuesday starts the clock on a slew of important pretrial matters in the Trump case, it’s not likely to resemble anything close to the timeframe that will ultimately govern the case,” the outlet added.

On Monday, Special Counsel Jack Smith scored an early victory in his ongoing conflict with Trump.

A federal judge granted Smith’s request for a protective order to prevent Trump from disclosing sensitive information in his case involving classified documents.

“Smith sought the order to ensure that neither Trump nor codefendant Walt Nauta, Trump’s presidential valet, disclose sensitive information obtained during the discovery process, where prosecutors will show the defense what evidence it has amassed during their investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents since leaving office,” ABC News reported.

The protective order stated that Trump and Nauta “shall not disclose the Discovery Materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than those employed to assist the defense, persons who are being interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the court may authorize disclosure.”

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart that the defense team “not disclose the Discovery Materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure.”

“A knowing violation of this Order by Defendants, Defense Counsel, and Authorized Persons may result in contempt of court or other civil or criminal sanctions,” the order warned.

A former criminal defense counsel for Trump argued last week that the investigation into Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents might not even proceed to trial.

During an interview on Fox News, Timothy Parlatore, who served as Trump’s criminal defense attorney until last month, spoke with host Laura Ingraham about Trump’s arraignment in Miami on Tuesday. Smith, who was appointed by Biden’s Department of Justice, brought the case against Trump.

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

Trump pleaded “not guilty” in federal court. If he is found guilty on all counts, Trump — who is President Joe Biden’s chief rival in next year’s presidential election — could face decades in prison. CONTINUE READING…