Donald Trump's lawyers have refused to grant media outlets permission to broadcast his arraignment on Tuesday, citing concerns about security and a "circus-like atmosphere." In a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, the former president's attorneys argued that allowing cameras and video recording during the proceedings would only heighten these security concerns.
The request by news organizations, including CNN, for live broadcasting of the arraignment was met with resistance from Trump's team. They stated that the media request should be denied because it could create a chaotic atmosphere and raise unique security risks, which are inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence.
Trump's attorneys pointed out that the court rules require judges to consider potential security concerns when allowing video or photography during proceedings. The lawyers claimed that broadcasting the arraignment live would only heighten these serious concerns.
However, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has responded that it is deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom on Tuesday. While they acknowledged that there is no categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law, their lawyer noted that a similar request was made for audio-video broadcasting in 2021.
In that instance, Judge Merchant allowed a limited number of still photographs to be taken before the proceedings began. The district attorney's office seems to be taking a similar approach, stating that excluding or restricting video coverage could be a defensible exercise of the court's discretion.
It remains to be seen how Judge Merchant will rule on the request for live broadcasting of Trump's arraignment.
The request by news organizations, including CNN, for live broadcasting of the arraignment was met with resistance from Trump's team. They stated that the media request should be denied because it could create a chaotic atmosphere and raise unique security risks, which are inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence.
Trump's attorneys pointed out that the court rules require judges to consider potential security concerns when allowing video or photography during proceedings. The lawyers claimed that broadcasting the arraignment live would only heighten these serious concerns.
However, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has responded that it is deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom on Tuesday. While they acknowledged that there is no categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law, their lawyer noted that a similar request was made for audio-video broadcasting in 2021.
In that instance, Judge Merchant allowed a limited number of still photographs to be taken before the proceedings began. The district attorney's office seems to be taking a similar approach, stating that excluding or restricting video coverage could be a defensible exercise of the court's discretion.
It remains to be seen how Judge Merchant will rule on the request for live broadcasting of Trump's arraignment.
! They just want to share this huge moment with the public, but Trump's team is being super strict about it 
. Can't they see that transparency is everything in a situation like this? It's not like they're going to broadcast anything incriminating 
. I'm all for keeping the security high, but come on, isn't it time for some openness? 
The public has a right to know what's going down in that courtroom 
. Fingers crossed Judge Merchant makes a fair decision 
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- I mean, it's just an arraignment! But seriously, can't we all just get along? The security concerns are valid, I guess, but do they really outweigh the right to be informed about what's happening in our democracy? It's a classic case of "fear of the unknown" 
. And another thing, what's with all the secrecy around it anyway? Shouldn't we want to know how the justice system is working out for Trump? I hope Judge Merchant makes a fair and informed decision about whether or not to allow live broadcasting 
But nope, Trump's team is having none of that. They're just trying to keep us from seeing the show, like we don't have a right to know what's going on in our own country 
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. The DA's office is being super reasonable, saying that it's up to the judge to decide how to handle things, but Trump's team is still pushing for no cameras. It's all about control, folks 
. We deserve to know what's happening in our justice system! 
I'm not buying this "circus-like atmosphere" excuse... sounds like an attempt to avoid scrutiny. Can we get some actual security footage or statements from law enforcement to back up their claims? This whole thing reeks of trying to keep Trump out of the public eye. What's really going on here?