Donald Trump can look forward to the presidential election with little risk of being sued for withholding classified documents, according to a calendar released by a US appeals court.
The case, which has taken many twists and turns, pits the former Republican president against special prosecutor Jack Smith, AFP reports.
Trump won a resounding legal victory a dozen days ago when local judge Eileen Cannon quashed the proceedings against him on the grounds that she said prosecutor Smith had been illegally appointed.
Smith has appealed that decision and now the ball is in the hands of other Atlanta-based judges.
But the timeline they have released indicates the procedural battle is likely to go on for months.
Jack Smith has until August 27 to submit his written arguments, after which Donald Trump's lawyers will have 30 days to respond. The prosecutor will then have 21 days to draft counterarguments.
And even if the appeals court decides to overturn Judge Cannon's ruling, Donald Trump can appeal to the Supreme Court.
Targeted in four criminal proceedings and convicted in one of them in New York of falsifying accounting documents, Donald Trump is doing everything he can to delay the trial as long as possible. | BGNES