WASHINGTON The federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s trial on his mishandling of classified documents case has set a trial date for May 20, according to a court order on Friday.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who sits in Fort Pierce, Florida, places Trump's criminal trial less than six months ahead of the November 2024 U.S. presidential election. Trump is the current front-runner for the Republican nomination in the race.

Federal prosecutors working for U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith at a hearing on Tuesday had asked Cannon to schedule the trial for December, while Trump's lawyers said there was no need to set a date yet.

The trial had initially been scheduled for Aug. 14 - a date that both the defense and prosecution opposed because they said they needed more time to prepare.

(Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Jacqueline Thomsen; Editing by Doina Chiacu)