The jury trial of former US President Donald Trump is scheduled for May 20, 2024.

This follows the ruling of United States District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. The former president is accused of mishandling secret documents.

Prosecutors had asked for the trial to begin in December, while Trump’s lawyers had asked for it to take place after the November 2024 presidential election.

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This decision could affect Trump’s aspirations within the presidential campaign, as he is a Republican nominee and leads in the polls ahead of the primary.

In a court document included in the summary of the case this Friday, Judge Cannon also ordered a hearing to be held on May 14, 2024, to discuss the calendar and other details of the trial, which was initially scheduled to begin on August 14.

Several press commentators pointed out that if Trump won the 2024 election without the trial already taking place, he could decide to quash the trial.

The trial will take place in the federal courts of Fort Pierce, a city about 120 miles north of Miami where Cannon exercises her position as a judge for which she was nominated by Trump in 2020, when he was president.

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Along with Trump, Waltine Nauta, who was his White House aide and was employed by the former president when he left the White House in January 2021, will sit in the dock.

Both, who pleaded not guilty before Judge Cannon, are charged with withholding and concealing classified documents, among other related crimes, punishable by jail time.

The former president may also face criminal charges again before capturing the Capitol on January 6, 2021.