Former President Donald Trump's lawyers have filed an opposition to a request by media outlets to broadcast his arraignment in New York on Tuesday. The request was made by multiple news organizations, including CNN, but has been met with resistance from the Trump team.
According to reports, Trump's attorneys argue that granting live coverage of the arraignment would create a "circus-like atmosphere," raise security concerns, and be inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence. They claim that allowing cameras and audio recorders into the courtroom could heighten these concerns, particularly given Secret Service-related issues.
In their letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchán, Trump's lawyers also emphasized the need for security precautions and the potential for prejudice against the defendant. However, they did not explicitly oppose the request for camera access entirely.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has stated that it will defer to the judge's decision on how best to manage the courtroom. In a response to CNN's request for camera access, the district attorney's office acknowledged that there is no categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under New York statutes and case law.
However, they noted that in the 2021 arraignment of Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg, the judge allowed only a limited number of still photographs to be taken prior to proceedings. This suggests that the district attorney's office may try to negotiate a similar arrangement for Tuesday's arraignment.
It remains to be seen whether the judge will grant or deny CNN's request for camera access. The hearing is set to take place on Tuesday, and it is expected to be closely watched by media outlets and observers alike.
According to reports, Trump's attorneys argue that granting live coverage of the arraignment would create a "circus-like atmosphere," raise security concerns, and be inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence. They claim that allowing cameras and audio recorders into the courtroom could heighten these concerns, particularly given Secret Service-related issues.
In their letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchán, Trump's lawyers also emphasized the need for security precautions and the potential for prejudice against the defendant. However, they did not explicitly oppose the request for camera access entirely.
Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has stated that it will defer to the judge's decision on how best to manage the courtroom. In a response to CNN's request for camera access, the district attorney's office acknowledged that there is no categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment under New York statutes and case law.
However, they noted that in the 2021 arraignment of Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg, the judge allowed only a limited number of still photographs to be taken prior to proceedings. This suggests that the district attorney's office may try to negotiate a similar arrangement for Tuesday's arraignment.
It remains to be seen whether the judge will grant or deny CNN's request for camera access. The hearing is set to take place on Tuesday, and it is expected to be closely watched by media outlets and observers alike.
. I mean, isn't this what makes the news? But seriously, can you imagine not being able to see the guy who got sued by everyone walk into a courtroom and hear him talk? It's like trying to keep a party from happening 
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️. The Secret Service can handle it, right? 
? And what's going on with the Manhattan DA's office? Are they just gonna go along with whatever Trump wants or do they have some other plan up their sleeve 
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I think its weird that Trumps team dont wanna let ppl see what's goin down in court. Theyre so paranoid about security & stuff... like whats the big deal? Its a public arraignment! We have a right to know whats happenin, ya feel? 
that would be some wild tv, amirite? 
Like, isn't this the ultimate moment of accountability for him? 
I'm all about transparency, folks! #JusticeForTrump (just kidding) #NotMyPresident...I mean, not my preferred president, anyway 
. But seriously, it's kinda weird that they're worried about security and camera access when this is basically the ultimate court case for him. 
The public deserves to know what's going down! Let's hope the judge sees things our way and allows some live coverage. #LiveFromTheCourtroom #JusticeMatters 
. I think the judge should give them a break on camera access - it's not like it's hurting anyone 
. Plus, what's wrong with still photos, right? That way everyone gets a glimpse of Trump without getting all worked up 
I'm all for transparency but come on, Trump's team is trying to keep it low-key. The Secret Service has enough to deal with already! 
What if some crazies show up and try to cause a scene? 
Maybe the judge will play it cool and let CNN do some limited photos or something. Fingers crossed no cameras get thrown at Trump 
at least this way we can get some real footage of the drama unfolding in court, not just his tweets 
... I mean, who doesn't want to see their former president being arraigned in court? But I guess that's just not how the system works anymore. It's like they're trying to hide something from us. The idea of a "circus-like atmosphere" sounds like an excuse to me... if we can't have live coverage, at least let us know what's going on. And don't even get me started on security concerns - it's not like the Secret Service is going to be worried about a bunch of journalists in the courtroom 
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it would b so dramatic!! 
and now his lawyers are making a big deal about the "circus-like atmosphere" thing... can't they just see that transparency is important for the public's right to know? 
. And of course, they're worried about prejudice against Trump - poor baby can't even have his arraignment live-streamed without it being a "circus". Like he's still the President or something 
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it feels like he's trying to keep something under wraps and that just gets suspicious. i hope CNN gets some camera access tho, we need all the info possible about what's going down! 
But at the same time, I can see why they'd want to avoid a circus-like atmosphere... it could get pretty wild if there are cameras rolling 
I'm surprised Trump's team is being so tight-fisted about live coverage