The federal criminal case concerning former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents took a significant turn as the US district judge in Florida overseeing the matter issued a ruling on one of Trump's motions to dismiss. Judge Aileen M. Cannon made her decision following a thorough daylong hearing, which Trump personally attended, according to Xinhua news agency.
In legal proceedings, a "motion to dismiss charges" serves as a defendant's request to have the charges dropped. Should the court grant this motion, the case ceases to proceed to trial. Conversely, if denied, the case continues its course through the legal system.
Trump's legal team argued for the dismissal of the majority of charges based on the Presidential Records Act of 1978, a legislation governing the preservation of presidential information. They contended that this law precludes Trump from facing prosecution. Additionally, they cited previous cases involving presidents retaining classified information and highlighted Special Counsel Robert Hur's decision not to prosecute President Joe Biden for similar actions during his vice presidency.
Furthermore, Trump's defense maintained that he classified the materials he relocated to Mar-a-Lago as personal records while still in office. However, this argument was challenged by the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is conducting an investigation into Trump's actions.
Amidst these legal battles, Trump, having secured the Republican presidential nomination, finds himself entangled in four criminal cases, confronting approximately 90 felony charges. Additionally, he has incurred hefty fines in two civil cases. Denying all accusations, Trump accuses President Biden and the Democratic Party of orchestrating continuous "political witch hunts" against him.
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