Trump's lawyers have told a New York judge that they oppose media outlets' request to broadcast former President Donald Trump's arraignment on Tuesday, citing concerns about creating a circus-like atmosphere and raising unique security risks.
In a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, the Trump team argued that allowing cameras into the courtroom would heighten the already "extraordinary security concerns" associated with Trump's case. The lawyers pointed out that Secret Service-related concerns are at play, and suggested that any video or photography of the proceedings could exacerbate these concerns.
Trump's attorneys also stated that they are required under court rules to take potential security concerns into account, and argued that excluding cameras from the arraignment would be a reasonable measure to maintain an orderly proceeding and ensure the safety of participants.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has deflected to the judge the decision on whether to allow camera access for Tuesday's arraignment. However, they noted that there doesn't appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law.
The district attorney's office pointed out that a similar request for audio-video broadcasting was made for Trump's 2021 arraignment in the tax fraud case against him, but Judge Merchan allowed only a limited number of still photographs to be taken prior to the commencement of proceedings. CNN is one of the outlets requesting camera access for Tuesday's arraignment.
The decision on whether cameras will be allowed into the courtroom remains with Judge Merchan, who has not yet made an official ruling on the matter.
In a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, the Trump team argued that allowing cameras into the courtroom would heighten the already "extraordinary security concerns" associated with Trump's case. The lawyers pointed out that Secret Service-related concerns are at play, and suggested that any video or photography of the proceedings could exacerbate these concerns.
Trump's attorneys also stated that they are required under court rules to take potential security concerns into account, and argued that excluding cameras from the arraignment would be a reasonable measure to maintain an orderly proceeding and ensure the safety of participants.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has deflected to the judge the decision on whether to allow camera access for Tuesday's arraignment. However, they noted that there doesn't appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law.
The district attorney's office pointed out that a similar request for audio-video broadcasting was made for Trump's 2021 arraignment in the tax fraud case against him, but Judge Merchan allowed only a limited number of still photographs to be taken prior to the commencement of proceedings. CNN is one of the outlets requesting camera access for Tuesday's arraignment.
The decision on whether cameras will be allowed into the courtroom remains with Judge Merchan, who has not yet made an official ruling on the matter.
. They're worried it'll create a circus atmosphere and pose security risks - but let's be real, we all know that Trump can handle himself in front of cameras 
. The Manhattan DA's office is giving Judge Merchan the green light on this one, which is kinda cool. It'll be interesting to see what goes down when he finally makes a ruling... might just make for some juicy live TV 
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. I mean, come on, Trump thinks he's above the law just 'cause he's got lawyers to shield him from accountability? Newsflash: you can't buy security 
. And what's with all these cameras gonna do anyway? Just gonna make it worse? The whole thing is just gonna be a mess 
. I bet the Secret Service is already stressing out about this, and now Trump's lawyers are breathing down their necks 
. It's like they're trying to create more drama 
.
. Still, it's kinda funny how CNN is throwing their hat into the ring and wanting to show the world what's going down 
.
, we didn't have all these security concerns over someone's arraignment 
. I mean, come on, it's just a judge and some lawyers reading out some charges... it's not like Trump is going to break free from his cuffs and start a riot 
It's all about sensationalism, if you ask me... 
The Secret Service thing is just a cop-out excuse 
. Mark my words, this will be a circus indeed 
But at the same time, I get why security concerns are a thing - you never know what could happen in a crowded courtroom 
. And honestly, if CNN wants to send a photographer or two, I don't see how that's gonna cause too much trouble 
. Fingers crossed Judge Merchan makes a decision soon! 
. Still, I get why they wanna keep things private... safety and all that jazz 
. But can't we just have a little transparency here? It's public interest, right? 
Let's hope Judge Merchan makes a fair decision about cameras in the courtroom 
at the same time, can we even blame trump's team for being paranoid? he's been in some pretty wild situations before. 
but on a more serious note, it's kinda weird that the DA's office is just kinda deflected to judge merchan without making a ruling themselves. 
. And can we talk about how ridiculous it is that his lawyers are trying to spin this as a "security concern" when really it's just an excuse to keep the public from seeing what's going on 
. And let's be real, if CNN is requesting access, that's basically a green light for everyone else to show up too 
. It's all about drama and ratings for them, not about keeping people safe 
it's like, can't we just have both sides of the story? 
it's just not worth the risk. i mean, what's next? livestreaming court hearings from all over the world? 
meanwhile, who cares about getting a glimpse of trump in action? 
and we'll have to wait and see what happens 