Judge Presiding Over Trump’s Arraignment Bars Video Cameras From Courtroom

A judge overseeing the case of former US President Donald Trump has denied a request from media outlets to have video cameras in the courtroom during his arraignment. Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan ruled on Monday, prohibiting any electronic devices, including cell phones and laptops, from the main or overflow courtrooms. Only five pool photographers will be allowed inside the courtroom before the arraignment begins to take still photographs for several minutes. The hearing is scheduled for April 4 at 2:15 PM. Trump was recently indicted by a grand jury in New York City. The exact charges are currently under seal.

Several media outlets, including the New York Times and CNN, have written to Merchan asking to broadcast the hearing. Trump’s lawyers requested that his client’s arraignment be conducted without cameras, stating that it “will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump’s presumption of innocence.”

Charges

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg convened the New York grand jury earlier this year to investigate former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Daniels had accused Trump of engaging in an extramarital relationship with her, which Trump had explicitly denied. The charges against Trump have not been revealed but seem to be based on whether he made a $130,000 payment to Daniels and documented the payment as false business records to cover up or commit violations of federal campaign finance laws.

After Yahoo News reported that Trump will be charged with 34 felony counts, Trump accused Bragg of having illegally leaked the content of the indictment ahead of the arraignment.