Lawyers of former president of the United States, Donald Trump, have filed a motion before a federal judge to have his trial regarding illegal retention of classified files postponed indefinitely, The New York Times reports.

In a submission filed on Tuesday, Mr Trump’s defence team is asking Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who is presiding over the case, not to open trial until all “substantive motions” in the case have been presented and determined, opening a possibility that the former president may not face trial until 2024.

The filing was made in response to prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith’s office, who had requested December 11 as trial commencement date, differing from the August schedule that Mr Cannon himself set, ostensibly to follow the quick calendar dictated by the Speedy Trial Act.

Judges are largely allowed to exercise their discretion in determining trial timetables, with their decisions rarely appealed in higher courts but Mr Trump’s case could be different due to its political nature and the potential consequences of either speeding up or delaying the case.

There are currently 37 criminal charges against the 77-year-old presidential aspirant in this case. In New York, where prosecutors accuse him of falsifying business documents to conceal hush payment made to an adult film actress, he faces an additional 34 felony charges. Additionally, he is charged with deceiving lenders in a separate civil lawsuit in New York by inflating the value of his properties and his net worth to qualify for loans and gain tax breaks.

In each instance, Mr. Trump has denied misconduct and has persisted in pursuing the presidency for a second term.