Trump's Team Opposes Request to Broadcast Arraignment Live, Citing Security Concerns and "Circus-Like Atmosphere"
Lawyers representing former US President Donald Trump have told a New York judge that they oppose the request by media outlets to broadcast Trump's arraignment on Tuesday. The team argued that allowing live video or photography of the proceedings would create a "circus-like atmosphere" and raise unique security concerns.
In a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, Trump's attorneys claimed that any video or photography of the proceedings would only heighten the serious security concerns surrounding the case. They pointed out that Secret Service-related concerns are present in the case and that allowing cameras could exacerbate these issues.
The team also submitted that it is required under court rules to take into account potential security concerns, which they believed could be heightened by live broadcasting of the arraignment.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has responded to the media outlets' request by deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the proceedings. The prosecutors noted that there does not appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law, but pointed out that allowing audio-video broadcasting was denied for a similar case in 2021.
The CNN, among other media outlets, is requesting camera access for Tuesday's arraignment. The judge has yet to make a decision on the request.
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between Trump's lawyers and the media over access to the former president during his arraignment.
Lawyers representing former US President Donald Trump have told a New York judge that they oppose the request by media outlets to broadcast Trump's arraignment on Tuesday. The team argued that allowing live video or photography of the proceedings would create a "circus-like atmosphere" and raise unique security concerns.
In a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, Trump's attorneys claimed that any video or photography of the proceedings would only heighten the serious security concerns surrounding the case. They pointed out that Secret Service-related concerns are present in the case and that allowing cameras could exacerbate these issues.
The team also submitted that it is required under court rules to take into account potential security concerns, which they believed could be heightened by live broadcasting of the arraignment.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has responded to the media outlets' request by deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the proceedings. The prosecutors noted that there does not appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law, but pointed out that allowing audio-video broadcasting was denied for a similar case in 2021.
The CNN, among other media outlets, is requesting camera access for Tuesday's arraignment. The judge has yet to make a decision on the request.
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between Trump's lawyers and the media over access to the former president during his arraignment.
. While it's understandable that Trump's team wants to mitigate any potential disruptions to the proceedings, I'm not entirely convinced by their claims of a "circus-like atmosphere" 
. After all, transparency is often seen as a cornerstone of democratic accountability.
. Ultimately, it's up to Judge Merchant to strike a balance between these competing interests 
.
. The 'circus-like atmosphere' excuse sounds like a thinly veiled attempt to avoid transparency and scrutiny 
. I'm not surprised that the prosecutors are deferring to the judge on this one – after all, they can't make decisions without following established court protocols 
.
. I'm guessing we'll see a lot more of this kind of back-and-forth in the coming days, with Trump's team doing everything in their power to keep the media at bay 
what's next? They're gonna tell us we can't take pictures of a prisoner being sentenced in 1850 because it might give them a headache? I get that security is important, but what about transparency and accountability? It's Trump, for crying out loud! He's been making headlines for years. Can't even get an arraignment without some drama unfolding 
. The media wants to cover this because people are curious, and it's not like they're just gonna sit there quietly while Trump gets arraigned.
. Can't we just have an open and fair trial here? 
. But at the same time, I get why Trump's team is being super cautious about security. We don't know what we're dealing with here.
? It's like, can't we all just move on from this? But I guess that's not how it works in the world of politics and lawyers... 
.
And honestly, if the public isn't allowed to see how this is going down, it's gonna fuel even more conspiracy theories about Trump. Maybe the media outlets should just keep a live feed of their own coverage instead? 