Donald Trump Arraignment: Lawyers Oppose Media Broadcasting
A tense standoff has emerged in New York as lawyers for former US President Donald Trump oppose a request by media outlets to broadcast his arraignment on Tuesday. The request, made by several news organizations including CNN, would allow cameras and audio equipment into the courtroom.
Trump's attorneys argue that such coverage would create a "circus-like atmosphere" at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with Trump's presumption of innocence. In a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, they claimed that allowing video or photography of the proceedings would only heighten serious security concerns related to Secret Service protection.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office has also responded to the request, stating that it defers to the judge's decision on how best to manage the courtroom. However, the district attorney's office noted that excluding or restricting videography, photography, and radio coverage could be a "defensible exercise" of the court's discretion to maintain order and avoid prejudice.
Interestingly, there appears to be no categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law. The prosecutors pointed out that a similar request was made for the 2021 arraignment in the tax fraud case against Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg, which was allowed with a limited number of still photographs permitted prior to proceedings.
As one of several outlets requesting camera access, CNN is now waiting to hear back from Judge Merchant on the matter. The arraignment is set to take place on Tuesday, and it remains to be seen whether Trump will face cameras in the courtroom or if his lawyers' objections will prevail.
A tense standoff has emerged in New York as lawyers for former US President Donald Trump oppose a request by media outlets to broadcast his arraignment on Tuesday. The request, made by several news organizations including CNN, would allow cameras and audio equipment into the courtroom.
Trump's attorneys argue that such coverage would create a "circus-like atmosphere" at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with Trump's presumption of innocence. In a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, they claimed that allowing video or photography of the proceedings would only heighten serious security concerns related to Secret Service protection.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office has also responded to the request, stating that it defers to the judge's decision on how best to manage the courtroom. However, the district attorney's office noted that excluding or restricting videography, photography, and radio coverage could be a "defensible exercise" of the court's discretion to maintain order and avoid prejudice.
Interestingly, there appears to be no categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law. The prosecutors pointed out that a similar request was made for the 2021 arraignment in the tax fraud case against Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg, which was allowed with a limited number of still photographs permitted prior to proceedings.
As one of several outlets requesting camera access, CNN is now waiting to hear back from Judge Merchant on the matter. The arraignment is set to take place on Tuesday, and it remains to be seen whether Trump will face cameras in the courtroom or if his lawyers' objections will prevail.
Anyway, I think the media outlets should just ask for permission from the court instead of making a big fuss about it 
. If CNN and others are really that concerned about security, they can work with Trump's lawyers to find a solution that works for everyone. But trying to strong arm the judge into letting them broadcast live is just gonna make things awkward... I hope Judge Merchant finds a way to keep the peace 
. its just a simple arraignment, whats the big deal? the media has every right to report on it and show the public what's going down. i mean, cant they just have one camera in the back of the room or something? its not like hes gonna make some huge announcement or anything... all this drama about security concerns is just a bunch of hooey 
. if trump wants to pretend he's still got an army of followers then maybe he should be okay with the media showing up 
! so like donald trump is goin thru this arraignment thingy & all these media outlets r tryna get a shot of him 
but his lawyers r all "no way Jose" lol. they say it'll be too dramatic & create some kinda circus vibe 
. i get it tho, security concerns and all that jazz 
... can u imagine the drama tho if cameras did show up? 
i'm low-key rooting for trump's team on this one 
i mean if its that serious then how come the prosecutor's office is ok with cameras at other arraignments? this whole thing just smells like a conspiracy to hide somethin 
. Trump's lawyers are being super paranoid about security concerns, but honestly, I think they're just mad 'cause they can't control the narrative anymore 
" - can't we just get a glimpse of this big figure's arraignment already? I mean, come on, CNN and all those others are gonna have to wait till Tuesday for answers? It's not like it's gonna change the whole outcome or anything... and honestly, who cares if there's a "circus-like atmosphere" created? 
The media's just trying to cover their bases, imo. And can we please get some more details on what's gonna go down in that courtroom? I need my fix of drama and all the tea! 