Waivers are not always ironclad, and it is not uncommon for judges to reject them if there is evidence of gross negligence or hazards that were not fully disclosed.
At some point, Trump's lawyers are expected to file a motion to dismiss the case for a variety of reasons, including perhaps his claim he declassified the documents before taking them.
Legal experts say neither the law nor the facts appear to be on the side of the former U.S. president.
The high-profile defamation case put one of the world's top media companies in the crosshairs over its coverage of false vote-rigging claims in the 2020 U.S. election.
The charges are part of a long-running corruption probe surrounding soccer's global governing body FIFA.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate could face up to 115 years in prison if convicted.
The amount fell far short of the millions of dollars in compensatory damages that had been sought by the plaintiffs.
