(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Judge orders no cameras in court during Trump's arraignment [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-03 Security forces gather outside the Manhattan Criminal Court building. A New York State judge has issued a ruling late Monday barring cameras from the courtroom during former President Donald Trump’s arraignment on Tuesday, MSNBC reported. Judge Juan Merchan, who is handling the case, rejected a motion by several media organizations to allow video and photo coverage of Trump’s arraignment. However, Merchan did allow five pool cameras to shoot still photographs “for several minutes” until the arraignment begins. The judge also allowed the use of cameras in hallways of the building. Merchan barred the use of electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones, in the courtroom. In his ruling rejecting the request to broadcast the arraignment, Merchan did take note of the historical significance of the proceeding, CNN reported. “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. Mr. Trump’s arraignment has generated unparalleled public interest and media attention,” he wrote. “The populace rightly hungers for the most accurate and current information available. To suggest otherwise would be disingenuous.” Merchan said that while the media’s request was understandable, the news organizations’ interests in providing the broadest possible access to the proceedings must be weighed against “competing interests.” x BREAKING: Judge Merchan has issued a ruling about cameras at and around Donald Trump's arraignment tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/wjZhOlzWlD — Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) April 4, 2023 Here is a copy of the judge’s order. x Judge Juan Merchan denies media coalition’s request for video coverage of tomorrow’s Trump arraignment; allows 5 pool cameras to shoot still photos until arraignment formally begins—and that’s it. pic.twitter.com/SrMN9yO3SZ — Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) April 4, 2023 Trump's lawyers had asked the judge to keep cameras out of the courtroom, saying they would “create a circus-like atmosphere," "raise unique security concerns" and are "inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence," CBS News reported. “This case presents extraordinary security concerns (including Secret Service-related concerns) and we submit that any video or photography of the proceedings will only heighten these serious concerns," Trump's attorneys wrote to Merchan on Monday. CBS News was among the media organizations which had petitioned to allow cameras in the courtroom. New York State has one of the strictest policies in the U.S. against cameras in the courtroom, according to the non-profit The Fund for Modern Courts. The media organizations also wrote a letter to the judge in which they wrote that cameras should be allowed in the courtroom, according to The Hill. Their letter read: “The gravity of this proceeding -– the unprecedented and historic arraignment of a former U.S. President – and, consequently, the need for the broadest possible public access, cannot be overstated.” CBS News reported that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office did not take a position on whether cameras should be allowed in the courtroom for Trump’s arraignment. But Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo wrote that the court had the discretion to exclude or restrict videography, photography and radio coverage of the arraignment “in the interest of avoiding potential prejudice to the defendant, maintaining an orderly proceeding, assuring the safety of the participants in the proceeding, or for other reasons within the Court's broad authority to manage and control these proceedings." Colangelo also pointed out that Merchan had allowed photography before the start of proceedings in the tax fraud case brought by Bragg against the Trump Organization. A grand jury indicted Trump last Thursday in a case related to hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/3/2161962/-Judge-orders-no-cameras-in-court-during-Trump-s-arraignment Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/