Donald Trump's trial for mishandling top secret documents will begin in May of next year, the judge presiding over the case said Friday.
US District Court Judge Aileen Cannon ordered the jury trial of the former president, the first ever to face criminal charges, to begin on May 20, 2024.
Prosecutors had asked for the trial to begin in December while Trump's defense attorneys had requested that it be held after the November 2024 presidential election.
The 77-year-old Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination and the trial will be held at the height of the primary campaign to select the party's flag-bearer for the election.