Today's ruling didn't affect any evidence.

It was a conversation about evidence. In fact, it was a conversation about an upcoming conversation about evidence.

Since this is a trial about classified information, there will be evidence withheld.

CIPA or the CLASSIFIED INFORMATION PROCEDURES ACT is the law that dictates how trials about secrets occur. There's a section that allows the government to submit a summary of a document, not the document itself.

Section 4 provides in pertinent part that "[t]he court, upon a sufficient showing, may authorize the United States to delete specified items of classified information from documents to be made available to the defendant through discovery under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, to substitute a summary of the information for such classified documents, or to substitute a statement admitting the relevant facts that classified information would tend to prove."

You have to have a hearing on this and show cause to the judge.

She issued a more significant ruling last month

CIPA also has a section where the defendant has to say what classified information they will be using in defense.

Smith wanted to have that hearing in December. She's delayed it to March. Legal folks are thinking that means the may trial date may get pushed back.

Trump originally asked for an April 20th, 26th trial date. When that was rejected he asked for the trial to be held after the November 2024 election.