In a recent development in former President Donald Trump's classified documents case, Judge Aileen Cannon has decided to hold additional hearings to delve further into key evidence challenges put forth by the defense. These hearings will also allow Trump's legal team to question witnesses regarding the investigation and search of his luxury Mar-a-Lago estate.

In an order issued on Thursday, Judge Cannon expressed her desire for more evidence on the language used in the FBI warrant, which led to the seizure of classified records from Mar-a-Lago in 2022. Additionally, the judge seeks to gain insight into grand jury testimony from Trump's former attorney, Evan Corcoran. Although these issues were addressed in Tuesday's hearings, Judge Cannon refrained from making any rulings at that time. The judge did not specify when the additional hearings would take place.

Judge Cannon has faced criticism for the perceived delays and multiple hearings in this case. During a hearing earlier this week, a prosecutor accused Trump's legal team of attempting to hijack the proceedings to spread conspiracies about the work of federal investigators. In her 11-page order, Judge Cannon responded to her critics, emphasizing the importance of conducting evidentiary hearings specifically designed to address contested factual and legal issues on pre-trial motions to suppress.

The judge's order indicates that she will reexamine the language used in the search warrant that allowed the seizure of property from Mar-a-Lago two years ago. She will also review the Justice Department's utilization of Corcoran's testimony to support the obstruction charges against Trump. However, the special counsel's office strongly opposes the need for additional hearings and Trump's attempts to remove certain parts of the case.

These forthcoming court proceedings will encompass witness testimony and evidence presentation, all of which will transpire before a trial. Judge Cannon will subsequently make a decision on whether the evidence seized from Trump's Florida estate and Corcoran's grand jury testimony can be used in the trial. However, no specific dates for the additional hearings have been set yet. The judge laid out the necessary steps that need to be taken before the hearings can occur, including meaningful conference between the parties, objection raising, and the filing of exhibit and witness lists.

Trump's legal team contends that the wording used in the search warrant lacked specificity in authorizing agents to seize "national defense information" and "Presidential Records," and Judge Cannon acknowledged the presence of "ambiguities" in the warrant. She concluded that further factual development is necessary regarding Trump's challenge to the specificity of the warrant's language.

However, Judge Cannon denied Trump's request for another hearing on the validity of the court-approved warrant to search multiple rooms at Mar-a-Lago. The defense is also challenging a Washington, DC, federal court's decision to compel Corcoran to disclose his conversations with Trump during the grand jury investigation. They argue that Trump may have misled his attorney while attempting to obstruct federal authorities from obtaining classified records after his presidency.

Judge Cannon emphasized the court's obligation to make fresh factual findings regarding the crime-fraud issue, and suggested that an evidentiary hearing, where both sides can present evidence, is the customary means by which such findings are made in criminal suppression litigation.

In response to these latest developments, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung issued a statement calling for the case to be thrown out, labeling it a "political sham" and asserting that it violates President Trump's attorney-client privilege and the Fourth Amendment. The defense maintains that the entire case lacks merit and should be entirely dismissed.

As the legal proceedings continue, the outcome of these additional hearings will shape the future direction of the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.