Trump's lawyers oppose media broadcast of his arraignment, citing security concerns.
The legal team for former US President Donald Trump has submitted to a New York judge that they reject a request by various news organizations to broadcast Trump's arraignment on Tuesday. In a letter to Judge Juan Merchant, the Trump attorneys argued that allowing live video and photography of the proceedings would heighten "serious security concerns" related to Secret Service protection.
The team cited the extraordinary nature of this case, which includes potential threats to Trump's safety and the need to minimize disruptions to the court process. They stated that they are required under court rules to take into account potential security concerns when covering such high-profile cases.
In response, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has expressed willingness to defer to the judge's discretion on how to manage the courtroom, but noted that excluding or restricting media coverage would be a "defensible exercise" in light of potential prejudice to the defendant and maintaining order.
The Trump team has long been concerned about the potential risks associated with live broadcasting of high-profile court cases. In 2021, they successfully argued against live audio-video broadcasting for an arraignment related to tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization.
As one of several outlets requesting access to broadcast Tuesday's arraignment, CNN will have to wait and see how Judge Merchant decides to handle the situation.
The legal team for former US President Donald Trump has submitted to a New York judge that they reject a request by various news organizations to broadcast Trump's arraignment on Tuesday. In a letter to Judge Juan Merchant, the Trump attorneys argued that allowing live video and photography of the proceedings would heighten "serious security concerns" related to Secret Service protection.
The team cited the extraordinary nature of this case, which includes potential threats to Trump's safety and the need to minimize disruptions to the court process. They stated that they are required under court rules to take into account potential security concerns when covering such high-profile cases.
In response, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has expressed willingness to defer to the judge's discretion on how to manage the courtroom, but noted that excluding or restricting media coverage would be a "defensible exercise" in light of potential prejudice to the defendant and maintaining order.
The Trump team has long been concerned about the potential risks associated with live broadcasting of high-profile court cases. In 2021, they successfully argued against live audio-video broadcasting for an arraignment related to tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization.
As one of several outlets requesting access to broadcast Tuesday's arraignment, CNN will have to wait and see how Judge Merchant decides to handle the situation.
... I mean, who doesn't want to bring live coverage to these kinds of historic events? But at the same time, I get why Trump's lawyers are being cautious - safety is a top priority, especially when it comes to high-profile cases like this. 
It's all about weighing the pros and cons, right? Maybe they can find a compromise, like live coverage but without cameras or audio 
... that way everyone gets what they want, right? 
67% of people who support trump still think he's guilty of some form of wrongdoing - which is pretty telling 
did you know that only 14% of court cases are broadcasted in its entirety? this one seems like a big deal, but maybe it's not 
. The fact that his lawyers are citing "security concerns" just sounds like a weak excuse to me... they're probably trying to hide something. And what's with the Secret Service protection? Are they worried about some kind of conspiracy theory unfolding in the courtroom? 
! Can't they just chill? And it's not like Trump hasn't been in some crazy situations before... what's the worst that could happen now?! 
I'm so done with these lawyers trying to control every little thing. It's just arraignment, folks! Let's get on with it and give the people something to watch 
. And honestly, if CNN can't handle a little security risk, maybe they should be focusing on more important things... like getting that one newscaster off the air 
what's Trump afraid of? he's been in politics forever, can't take a little heat from the media?! 
i mean come on, it's not like this is some big secret or something 
.
he thinks the media is gonna go wild and try to hurt him but honestly, can't he just take a deep breath and chill for once? i mean, what's there to be so concerned about? it's just one arraignment, not the end of the world