Judge Cannon sets Trump trial for August, but it’s not likely to stick

© Senate Judiciary Committee/AP Aileen M. Cannon, the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s classified documents case, answers questions during her Senate nomination hearing in July 2020. Cannon has the authority to decide in which of the five divisions within the Southern District of Florida the trial will take place. The fast timetable set by Cannon suggests that she does not want Trump’s trial proceedings to drag on. His Florida court proceedings — along with hearings and appearances in an unrelated indictment on fraud charges in New York — appear likely to take place alongside the 2024 primary and general election campaigns. Cannon, 42, was nominated by Trump during his final year in office and has less than three years of experience on the bench.