U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon on Thursday denied Trump's immunity from prosecution argument for retaining classified documents, reports Courthouse News Service. U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon wrote in an order Thursday that federal prosecutors had enough evidence to prosecute Trump for violations of the Espionage Act and other obstruction-related offenses.
Trump’s attorneys had argued at a March 14 court hearing in Fort Pierce, Florida, that Trump was protected from prosecution under the Presidential Records Act. The 1978 law lets the president determine if records created during his term are presidential or personal, they claimed. Personal records can then be retained after leaving office. However, prosecutors argued that this distinction didn't apply to documents containing national secrets. Thursday’s order appeared to head off a confrontation between Cannon and the special counsel Jack Smith's office, which has expressed frustration with the case’s progress. The trial date is still undecided.
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