Special counsel Jack Smith is right. A speedy trial in the Trump documents case is vital for everyone, except perhaps the defendant. Surely, the voters in November 2024 should know whether former President Donald Trump is guilty of very serious charges. In reality, the timeline is much shorter than that. The Republican primaries begin early in 2024, and their convention, which is the final fail-safe point, is next summer.

But unless Smith makes some significant changes from what his indictment promises, the case will not be ready for trial until well after Jan. 20, 2025, and not by this coming August, the date that U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida has recently proposed. Here are some ideas to streamline the trial while keeping the main thrust of the indictment intact so that a speedy trial might happen this year.