Lawyers representing former President Donald Trump have told a New York judge that they oppose the request by media outlets to broadcast Trump's arraignment on Tuesday, citing concerns about creating a "circus-like atmosphere" and raising security risks.
In a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, Trump's attorneys stated that allowing video or photography of the proceedings would only heighten these serious concerns, including Secret Service-related issues. They requested that the judge deny the media request, emphasizing that President Trump is presumed innocent.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office also responded to the news outlets' request, stating that it was deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom. However, they noted that excluding or restricting videography and photography could be a defensible exercise of the court's discretion in order to avoid potential prejudice to the defendant, maintain an orderly proceeding, or ensure the safety of all participants.
It is worth noting that there does not appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law. The prosecutors pointed out that a similar request for audio-video broadcasting was made for Trump's 2021 arraignment in the tax fraud case, but was allowed with restrictions.
CNN is one of the outlets requesting camera access for Tuesday's arraignment, which could add to the concerns about security risks if approved.
In a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, Trump's attorneys stated that allowing video or photography of the proceedings would only heighten these serious concerns, including Secret Service-related issues. They requested that the judge deny the media request, emphasizing that President Trump is presumed innocent.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office also responded to the news outlets' request, stating that it was deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom. However, they noted that excluding or restricting videography and photography could be a defensible exercise of the court's discretion in order to avoid potential prejudice to the defendant, maintain an orderly proceeding, or ensure the safety of all participants.
It is worth noting that there does not appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law. The prosecutors pointed out that a similar request for audio-video broadcasting was made for Trump's 2021 arraignment in the tax fraud case, but was allowed with restrictions.
CNN is one of the outlets requesting camera access for Tuesday's arraignment, which could add to the concerns about security risks if approved.
think its kinda weird that trump's team is being super protective about the cameras during his arraignment... like what are they hiding? seems like a classic case of "don't want us to see you" 
, but at the same time, I get why the media outlets would wanna cover it - public interest and all that jazz 
. personally, I think its up to the judge to decide whether or not cameras can be allowed in the courtroom, but if there are valid security concerns, then yeah maybe its best to keep them out for now 
. cant wait to see how this all plays out! 
The public has a right to know what's going down in court, and if there are security risks, can't we just take normal precautions? Like, having guards at the door instead of no cameras at all? 
they're just trying to control the narrative and hide something from us 
news outlets have a right to cover public figures like trump and i think it's a shame that his lawyers are trying to block camera access from happening on tuesday 
It's all so... dramatic. Can't we just have a quiet day in court without all the fuss? 
imagine sitting in that courtroom and suddenly everyone's got cameras rolling and paparazzi trying to get a shot of trump looking all guilty or whatever... it's already gonna be tense enough with a former prez being arraigned, no need for it to get circus-like 
. but on the other hand, we gotta respect the press and the public's right to know what's going down in there. can't just lock them out, that'd be kinda authoritarian 
. i guess the key is finding a balance between security and transparency? seems like trump's team is trying to err on the side of caution, but it's not gonna be easy with all these cameras and whatnot...
. If Trump's arraignment goes ahead without cameras, it could be seen as a way to stifle scrutiny and prevent the public from holding those in power accountable.
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. I get that security is a concern and all, but come on, it's not like the Secret Service isn't used to dealing with crazy situations already 
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. I'm more worried about the fact that they're trying to hide something from us. If there's nothing to hide, why not let us see it? 
. So yeah, I'm all for cameras and videography being allowed. Let's see some real action unfold 
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... i mean think about it, trump's team wants to keep the cameras out but at the same time they're all worried about security risks? that doesn't quite add up... plus if you're innocent why do you need a team of lawyers who are basically trying to control every little thing that happens in court? and what's with this "circus-like atmosphere" thing, is trump really that fragile? 
. The DA office is being pretty chill about it though, deferring to the judge's discretion is fair play 
. But if CNN wants in on the action, they're gonna have to address those security concerns head-on 
