Former US president Donald Trump was in federal court in Florida today for a closed-door meeting in his classified documents case, as lawyers discuss who will have access to the top-secret evidence.
Mr Trump, 77, pleaded not guilty in June to charges of unlawfully retaining national defence information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
The judge in the case, Aileen Cannon, summoned lawyers from both sides for the proceedings.
The former president and his entourage arrived around 9am (2pm Irish time) at the Fort Pierce courthouse, about 200km north of Miami, where a group of supporters holding posters greeted them.
Mr Trump’s lawyers want to gain access to the classified evidence, which is currently in prosecutors’ hands, but the US government’s attorneys oppose the move on grounds that the information is too sensitive.
Judge Cannon wrote in a court document calling the hearing that Mr Trump’s lawyers should be prepared to “discuss their defence theories of the case, in detail, and how any classified information might be relevant or helpful to the defence.”
She is scheduled to hear defence arguments first, and then from federal prosecutors.
The trial of Mr Trump is scheduled to begin on 20 May.
Also charged are two employees, property manager Carlos de Oliveira and Mr Trump’s personal assistant Waltine Nauta.
In recent weeks, Mr Trump has appeared at hearings in several court cases against him.
The former president has been leaning into his legal woes, which have not seemed to dent his popularity as the Republican Party’s presidential frontrunner for the 2024 election.
