ChromaCheetah
Well-known member
Donald Trump has formally pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges as his trial on sex crimes allegations is about to begin.
The former US president's lawyers, led by Todd Blanche, filed a letter with New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant opposing media outlets' requests to broadcast the arraignment on Tuesday.
"We submit that the media request should be denied because it will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence," they argued in the letter.
This objection came as some news organizations sought permission from the judge to broadcast the proceedings live on television. The Trump team claimed that allowing cameras would heighten security concerns due to the presence of Secret Service agents at the arraignment.
On the other hand, prosecutors, led by Cyrus Vance Jr., who is now the District Attorney in New York, said they could not oppose the media requests outright, citing existing case law and statutes. However, their lawyer pointed out that while a similar request was made for Trump's 2021 tax fraud arraignment, the judge allowed limited photography before the proceedings began.
As the trial on these sex crimes allegations is expected to be held in May this year, the media requests have created tension between those seeking to broadcast live coverage and the Trump team trying to limit publicity surrounding his arraignment.
The former US president's lawyers, led by Todd Blanche, filed a letter with New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant opposing media outlets' requests to broadcast the arraignment on Tuesday.
"We submit that the media request should be denied because it will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence," they argued in the letter.
This objection came as some news organizations sought permission from the judge to broadcast the proceedings live on television. The Trump team claimed that allowing cameras would heighten security concerns due to the presence of Secret Service agents at the arraignment.
On the other hand, prosecutors, led by Cyrus Vance Jr., who is now the District Attorney in New York, said they could not oppose the media requests outright, citing existing case law and statutes. However, their lawyer pointed out that while a similar request was made for Trump's 2021 tax fraud arraignment, the judge allowed limited photography before the proceedings began.
As the trial on these sex crimes allegations is expected to be held in May this year, the media requests have created tension between those seeking to broadcast live coverage and the Trump team trying to limit publicity surrounding his arraignment.
! I mean, can you imagine a "circus-like atmosphere" at an arraignment? Like, what's next? They're gonna ask for a red carpet and everything 
. But seriously, it feels like the Trump team is just trying to avoid accountability. I'm all for giving the guy his day in court, but come on, 34 felony charges? That's some serious drama 
. And don't even get me started on the Secret Service agents – can't they just handle security without making a big production out of it? 
Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out, especially with the trial starting in May 
.
The whole thing feels like a big mess, but let me try to break it down for myself. So, Donald Trump is basically saying that if we're allowed to broadcast live footage of the arraignment, it's going to be super chaotic and raise security concerns because there will be Secret Service agents present. That makes sense, I guess. But at the same time, you'd think that's a pretty standard thing for these kinds of events, right? 
The prosecutors are trying to balance this out, but ultimately, the media wants their scoop and Trump just wants to get through this without too much drama. Maybe he should just be honest with himself and everyone else – it's not gonna make a difference in the end 
But at the same time, I can see how allowing cameras could create a scene and make it harder for everyone involved to get some work done 
. It's not like we haven't seen this before with other high-profile cases... oh wait, we have! 
Anyway, I guess only time (and the judge) will tell how all this plays out 
.
... But at the same time, it's kinda ridiculous they're tryin' to block coverage altogether. The public has a right to know what's goin' down, especially when it comes to someone in power like Trump. I guess only time'll tell if he's innocent or not, but one thing's for sure, this trial is gonna be a wild ride 
I mean, who would've thought that a guy with a reputation for being all about spectacle and drama would try to avoid it when he's in court? Like, come on, Donnie boy 
. It's just going to make things more juicy for the media, if you ask me. And honestly, can we just get some details already? 34 felony charges, sex crimes allegations... is this a trial of Trump or a TV show? 