Trump's lawyers reject media request to broadcast former president's arraignment, citing security concerns.
Lawyers representing Donald Trump told a New York judge on Monday that they oppose requests from media outlets to broadcast Trump's arraignment on Tuesday. The team argued that allowing cameras and videographers into the courtroom would create an "atmosphere more akin to a circus" and raise unique security concerns.
In a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, Trump's attorneys stated that they believe the request should be denied due to potential disruptions to the proceedings and risks to the safety of participants. The team emphasized that President Trump is presumed innocent and that allowing media coverage could inadvertently prejudice his case or create an unfair atmosphere.
Todd Blanche, a new member of Trump's legal team, signed the letter. In contrast, the Manhattan District Attorney's office responded positively to media requests, stating that they are deferring to the judge's discretion in determining how best to manage the courtroom on Tuesday. However, prosecutors noted that there is no categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law.
The district attorney's office pointed out a 2021 precedent where Judge Merchant allowed a limited number of still photographs to be taken prior to the commencement of proceedings for another Trump-related case. Despite this, CNN and other media outlets continue to request camera access for Tuesday's arraignment, with one outlet noting that it is "one of the many outlets requesting coverage."
Lawyers representing Donald Trump told a New York judge on Monday that they oppose requests from media outlets to broadcast Trump's arraignment on Tuesday. The team argued that allowing cameras and videographers into the courtroom would create an "atmosphere more akin to a circus" and raise unique security concerns.
In a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, Trump's attorneys stated that they believe the request should be denied due to potential disruptions to the proceedings and risks to the safety of participants. The team emphasized that President Trump is presumed innocent and that allowing media coverage could inadvertently prejudice his case or create an unfair atmosphere.
Todd Blanche, a new member of Trump's legal team, signed the letter. In contrast, the Manhattan District Attorney's office responded positively to media requests, stating that they are deferring to the judge's discretion in determining how best to manage the courtroom on Tuesday. However, prosecutors noted that there is no categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law.
The district attorney's office pointed out a 2021 precedent where Judge Merchant allowed a limited number of still photographs to be taken prior to the commencement of proceedings for another Trump-related case. Despite this, CNN and other media outlets continue to request camera access for Tuesday's arraignment, with one outlet noting that it is "one of the many outlets requesting coverage."
and now they're trying to block a live broadcast during his arraignment? security concerns or not, i don't buy it... remember when they tried to restrict access to the first trial and it backfired 
? it's like they're just trying to control the narrative. but what really gets me is that the da's office is being all flexible about it 
. i was wondering if they'd cave in to some demands, and now it seems like they're leaving it up to the judge... we'll see how this plays out!
. Trump's team is just trying to avoid scrutiny, plain and simple. I mean if the DA thinks it's cool to let some stills be taken before the last trial, why not full camera coverage? It's all about control here, not about protecting Trump's "rights" as a person 
. Can't have one set of rules for Trump and another for everyone else 
. btw, isn't this all going down in broad daylight? how much more secure can you get? 
. And honestly, who cares if cameras are in the courtroom or not? It's all about keeping it real for the American people 
. What do you guys think, should the media be allowed in?
. Like, what did they expect? A super exclusive courtroom experience? Newsflash: arraignments are public events, and if you're doing something shady, you should be able to take some pics of yourself getting held for questioning... I mean, come on, 2021 precedent and all that jazz. The DA's office is being super chill about it too, which just makes me think they know something we don't 
. And btw, what's with the security concerns? Is Trump afraid of his own face 
. And what's with the 'atmosphere more akin to a circus' comment? Sounds like they're trying to spin this as some kinda spectacle 
. Can't we just have our cake and eat it too, though? 
this is so stressful for trump fans 
And omg, this is gonna be so dramatic on tuesday! 
. If they're worried about disruptions, maybe it's because they don't want us to see what's going down in that courtroom? Transparency would be awesome here... instead of playing politics behind closed doors 
. I'm all for a fair trial, but no way should we be denied access to see it play out in real-time 
. I'm not saying cameras are necessary or anything, but come on, it can't be that hard to make an exception.
. And what about the security concerns? I mean, come on, Trump is a former president, not some common joe 
? Newsflash, Donald: you're not above the law... yet 
. And seriously, security concerns? Are they really worried about some crazy fan getting too close or something? Like, what's Trump's team hiding?