Topline
News cameras will not be allowed to cover former President Donald Trump’s arraignment from inside the courtroom on Tuesday, a state judge ruled on Monday night, siding with a request from the former president’s legal team who argued that the presence of cameras would have turned the proceedings into a “spectacle.”
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York.
Key Facts
In his ruling, New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan denied a request from several media outlets to allow cameras to cover live courtroom proceedings.
The use of electronic devices, including cell phones and laptops, will also not be allowed inside the courtroom..
Five press pool photographers will be allowed into the jury box “to take still photos for several minutes” before the arraignment hearing begins, the judge ruled
The judge’s ruling allows news cameras to be present in the hallways of the court building.
Crucial Quote
In his ruling, Merchan said: “That this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting or past President been indicted on criminal charges. The populace rightly hungers for the most accurate and current information available.” But the judge argued that “the interests of the News Organizations must be weighed against competing interests. This Court is now called upon to engage in that balancing exercise.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/04/04/no-news-cameras-inside-courtroom-during-trumps-arraignment-hearing-judge-rules/