For once, Donald Trump doesn’t want cameras in the room. And less than 24 hours before charges are to be brought against the former president, a Manhattan judge broadly agreed.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan issued a ruling late Monday denying media requests for television cameras in his courtroom Tuesday afternoon local time. However, he does allow five pool photographers to “take pictures for a few minutes” before proceedings officially begin.
“That this allegation is a matter of monumental importance cannot possibly be disputed,” the judge wrote in his ruling. “Never in the history of the United States has an incumbent or former president been indicted on any criminal charges,” he added, but warned that there are “conflicting interests” to consider when it comes to media access.
Conversely, Merchan will allow television cameras in the hallway outside his courtroom to film Trump and his entourage arriving and departing. The brief hearing is expected to begin around 2:00 PM ET.
In addition, laptops, mobile phones and other portable devices are not allowed in the courtroom.
In a letter to Merchan this week, Trump’s legal team said it wanted to deny the media’s camera request “because it would create a circus atmosphere at the indictment, raise unique security concerns and run counter to the president’s presumption of innocence.” Trump.
In general, cameras, live and silent, are not the norm in Manhattan courts. However, Mercan allowed photographers into the courtroom during a previous and unrelated case involving the Trump Organization itself. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office had no position on whether cameras could have captured the historic event of the first POTUS to be impeached.
After a lengthy investigation, the much-indicted Trump was indicted by a grand jury on March 30 for paying $130,000 in hush money art of the agreement The author’s then-lawyer, now Michael Cohen, confronts Stormy Daniels a few weeks before the 2016 election. Despite much circumstantial evidence, Trump has denied having an affair with porn star Daniels, which she says took place in 2006 has.
Even with charges, it can take months, if not a year, for a trial to begin, if at all. Details of the still-sealed indictment, which is said to contain more than 30 counts, will also provide a more complete picture of the broader implications of this case. As usual, the charges will be unsealed by the court on Tuesday when Trump’s impeachment trial begins.
In what has already become a media frenzy of widespread coverage of Trump’s trip from his hometown of Florida to NYC on Monday, Merchan’s decision sets the tone for Trump’s long-awaited discussion and trial. Although Trump did not want cameras to capture him at the defendant’s table, the former and current candidate spent weeks relentlessly criticizing the judge, prosecutor and everyone involved in the case, extracting millions from the indictment. for his application for 2024.
The New York case is far from the only legal threat facing the ex-POTUS. With charges expected in the coming weeks, he could face racketeering and conspiracy charges in Georgia for allegedly trying to directly reverse his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Trump is also the subject of Justice Department investigations into the mishandling of classified documents, the January 6 riots and other moves to discredit the results of the 2020 election and his failed re-election bid.
Trump being Trump, the former president scheduled a campaign-style event Tuesday night outside his Mar-a-Lago home.
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
