Federal prosecutors have sharply rebuked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon for her handling of former President Donald Trump's classified documents case in Florida. In a late-night filing, special counsel Jack Smith's team urged the judge to keep the Presidential Records Act (PRA) out of the jury instructions, warning that including the law could jeopardize the proceedings and lead to an appeal. The prosecutors argued that the PRA has no relevance in a case involving highly classified documents like the ones Trump is accused of possessing at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. They stated that there is no evidence Trump designated these records as personal and that the suggestion he did so was “invented” after the fact. The prosecutors also emphasized that Trump was not authorized to possess classified records at all, making the distinction between personal and presidential records under the PRA irrelevant.

The case against Trump includes 32 alleged violations of national security laws related to mishandling classified information, as well as an obstruction scheme to impede federal investigators. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied any wrongdoing. His defense team has argued that the PRA grants him unreviewable discretion over classified records and that the court has no jurisdiction in the matter. They have also suggested that Trump was authorized to access the classified records during his presidency and that certain precedents allow former presidents to access certain documents.

Cannon had asked both the special counsel and Trump's legal teams to submit proposed jury instructions based on two hypothetical scenarios related to the PRA. The prosecutors rejected both scenarios, stating that they rest on a fundamentally flawed legal premise and could distort the trial. They urged the judge to move quickly in rejecting the defense motion to dismiss the indictment and to keep the focus on the elements of the case related to the alleged mishandling of national defense information.

The trial date for the case remains unsettled, raising the possibility that it may remain unresolved by the time of the November presidential election. Cannon has yet to rule on Trump's motions to dismiss the indictment, as well as other disagreements between the two sides. The former president's aides, Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira, also face charges in the case, and their motions remain unresolved as well. The ongoing legal battle underscores the complexity and contentious nature of the case against Trump, who is also facing three other criminal cases.