Former President Donald Trump’s arraignment on Tuesday in a Manhattan state court will not be broadcast by news outlets, according to a ruling by New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan’s. The judge denied a request by several media organizations to broadcast the historic proceedings. However, five still photographers will be allowed to take pictures of Trump and the courtroom before the hearing begins.
Although Trump’s arraignment is a public proceeding, news cameras are not usually allowed to broadcast from inside the courtroom. Judge Merchan acknowledged the historical significance of the proceeding in his statement on the ruling.
He wrote, “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. The populace rightly hungers for the most accurate and current information available. To suggest otherwise would be disingenuous.”
While the media’s interest in providing the broadest possible access to the proceedings is understandable, the judge concluded that other interests must be considered.
Trump’s lawyers earlier urged the judge to reject the media’s request for cameras in the courtroom, and the Manhattan district attorney’s office stated that it had no position. While news organizations may not be able to broadcast the arraignment, the still photographers’ presence will capture the moment.
The former president’s arraignment will be held in the same courthouse where he was tried and acquitted in 2020 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress following his impeachment by the House of Representatives.
