The federal judge overseeing former President Donald J. Trump’s prosecution on charges of mishandling classified documents indicated on Wednesday that she was inclined to make some “reasonable adjustments” to the timing of the case. She expressed concern that it could interfere with Mr. Trump’s other federal trial. Speaking during a hearing in Federal District Court in Fort Pierce, Fla., Judge Aileen M. Cannon did not provide specific details of how she planned to alter the schedule but confirmed that she would issue a written order soon.

Despite not specifying the changes, Judge Cannon appeared doubtful that the trial date in the documents case, currently set for May 20, could comfortably coexist with Mr. Trump’s Washington-based trial on charges related to the 2020 election. She stated, “I’m having a hard time seeing, realistically, how this work can be accomplished in this compressed time period.”

Responding to Mr. Trump’s lawyers’ latest request to delay the proceedings, Judge Cannon expressed concern about the difficulty of accommodating the schedules of the various trials. Mr. Trump’s legal team has repeatedly sought to postpone his trial dates as much as possible, aiming to delay any legal reckoning until after Election Day. The timing of Mr. Trump’s criminal trials has added another layer of complexity to the already challenging pursuit of charges against him. Additionally, no single authority has been coordinating the arrangements, resulting in overlapping trials and logistical complications.

Throughout the hearing, both Mr. Trump’s lawyers and the prosecutors have argued about the timing of the documents trial. Mr. Trump’s lawyers have consistently advocated for the case to go to trial after the 2024 election or for the charges to be dropped by a future attorney general if Mr. Trump were to win. On the other hand, prosecutors in the special counsel’s office have accused Mr. Trump’s lawyers of intentionally delaying the trial. They have discussed the challenges of having multiple overlapping trials and the compressed schedule in the case.

During the hearing, Mr. Trump’s lawyers argued that it was unworkable to try the former president for the election interference indictment in Washington in March and then try him again in Florida in May for the classified materials charges. They highlighted the pressure on Mr. Trump and his legal team due to the compressed schedule. Meanwhile, a prosecutor in the special counsel’s office accused Mr. Trump’s lawyers of consistently trying to delay the trial.

While the questions surrounding timing are crucial, other technical details were discussed during the hearing. Mr. Trump’s lawyers claimed that they needed more time to process the extensive discovery evidence provided by the government before filing pretrial motions. They also raised logistical concerns and highlighted delays in obtaining full security clearance and building secure facilities for reviewing the classified materials involved in the case.

During the hearing, Mr. Trump’s lawyers hinted at potential defenses they might use to fight the indictment. They suggested casting doubt on whether some of the documents contained classified information and argued that Mr. Trump maintained a special security clearance even after leaving office.