Former President Donald Trump’s legal team on Wednesday was granted an extension for his classified documents case in Florida, a delay that will likely push the case review past the Nov. 5 election.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals approved the extension to Oct. 25.
The legal team sought a 30-day extension from the Sept. 25 deadline to file an opening brief.
“Good cause exists for this request,” the court papers filed Tuesday said. It said the lawyers are dealing with the former president’s election interference case in Washington and the possible sentencing for Mr. Trump’s New York business-record case.
“President Trump and his counsel are presently engaged in motion practice in a separate case brought by the special counsel in the District of Columbia … which will require counsel to spend time in a sensitive compartmented information facility in Washington, D.C., in the coming weeks to meet that court’s briefing schedule,” the filing said.
“President Trump and his counsel are also litigating issues of first impression in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit that require briefing in advance of a potential sentencing hearing presently set for Nov. 26,” it said.
Special counsel Jack Smith moved to appeal the July decision made by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to dismiss the classified documents case. She claimed Mr. Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel.
The filing notes that Mr. Smith is not opposed to the extension request.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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