“My office will seek a speedy trial in this matter, consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused,” Smith said during a news conference, following the release of an indictment listing 37 charges against Trump.
The defendants must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, Smith noted.
“We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everybody," Smith underscored, later urging the public to read the newly unsealed indictment in full "to understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged."
Earlier Friday, the Justice Department unsealed the indictment listing a total of 38 charges against Trump and a personal aide, including willful retention of national defense information and making false statements.
The 49-page indictment details how classified documents were stored in a bathroom, ballroom, office space and a bedroom, as well as allegations that files had been shown to others during the summer of 2021.
Smith's remarks and the unsealed indictment surfaced a day after Trump revealed late Thursday that his legal team had been informed that an indictment was imminent. The former president has maintained his innocence and written off the development as a political tactic to prevent his 2024 White House bid.
The latest comes as Trump, who is expected to appear in a Miami courtroom on Tuesday, is already facing one indictment in New York and potentially a third in Georgia as officials are investigating his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state.