Trump's lawyers oppose media request to broadcast his arraignment, citing security concerns and a desire to preserve the defendant's presumption of innocence.
In a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, Trump's attorneys argued that allowing cameras into the courtroom would create a "circus-like atmosphere" and raise unique security concerns. They also claimed that any video or photography of the proceedings would only heighten these serious concerns, including Secret Service-related concerns.
The lawyers also pointed out that the Manhattan District Attorney's office had previously allowed limited still photographs to be taken prior to a 2021 arraignment in another case involving Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg. However, this precedent does not appear to apply to the upcoming arraignment.
CNN, along with other media outlets, has requested access for cameras during Tuesday's arraignment. The district attorney's office is deferring to the judge's discretion on how best to manage the proceedings, but its lawyer noted that there does not appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law.
The decision ultimately rests with Judge Merchant, who will have to weigh the potential risks of allowing cameras into the courtroom against the public's right to know about Trump's arraignment.
In a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, Trump's attorneys argued that allowing cameras into the courtroom would create a "circus-like atmosphere" and raise unique security concerns. They also claimed that any video or photography of the proceedings would only heighten these serious concerns, including Secret Service-related concerns.
The lawyers also pointed out that the Manhattan District Attorney's office had previously allowed limited still photographs to be taken prior to a 2021 arraignment in another case involving Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg. However, this precedent does not appear to apply to the upcoming arraignment.
CNN, along with other media outlets, has requested access for cameras during Tuesday's arraignment. The district attorney's office is deferring to the judge's discretion on how best to manage the proceedings, but its lawyer noted that there does not appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under existing New York statutes and case law.
The decision ultimately rests with Judge Merchant, who will have to weigh the potential risks of allowing cameras into the courtroom against the public's right to know about Trump's arraignment.
I'm surprised they're trying to keep it so private. Like, isn't this a pretty big deal? You'd think we'd all want to see what's going on with Trump in court. I mean, it's not like he's above the law or anything... 
Security concerns and all that, yeah sure. But can't they just keep an eye on things without locking us out of watching it too? It feels kinda fishy, you know? The lawyers are trying to preserve this 'presumption of innocence' thing, but isn't that something the judge's gonna have to figure out anyway? 
. It's all about balance, right? You wanna protect the defendant's rights and also give the public a glimpse of justice being served. But Trump's team is like, "Nope, let's keep it low-key" 
. Meanwhile, CNN is all, "Hey, we just wanna do our job!" 
.
I think it's time to weigh in on this one, Judge Merchant! 
It just seems like an excuse to keep things under wraps, you know?
like there's something to hide? Meanwhile, we're supposed to believe they just want to preserve his innocence 
... sure, and pigs fly too 
. It's all about control and publicity, if you ask me. The public has a right to know what's going down, especially when someone with Trump's influence is involved 
. I'm not saying cameras should be everywhere, but at least we should get some answers 
. Can we say it's just another example of "he said, she said"? Or maybe this is an opportunity for us as citizens to decide what kind of justice system we want – one that keeps us in the dark or one that lets us see how our leaders are doing 
. Either way, I'm keeping my popcorn ready for Tuesday's arraignment... and I'll be tuning in regardless of whether there are cameras or not 
. And the lawyers saying cameras would create more security issues just seems like a bunch of hooey 
.
! The world has changed so much since then. I hope Judge Merchant makes a fair decision, but I'm kinda rooting for the media 
.
... sources please! 
would rather see the real impact of justice on the ppl involved 
The fact that they're citing security concerns as an excuse is pretty suspicious. It feels like a classic case of them trying to control the narrative. 
. Judge Merchant is gotta make a call here, weighing individual rights against public interest... it's a tough one. Maybe allowing limited access or just broadcasting it afterwards could be a compromise? 
... not to create a circus atmosphere, but to keep an eye on things 