- Former President Donald Trump's legal team urges for cameras to be prohibited from the Republican's arraignment
- Trump's lawyers argue that cameras would create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment
- Supporters of the Republican businessman gathered to oppose the indictment when Trump arrived ahead of his arraignment
Former Donald Trump's lawyers requested a judge not to allow media outlets to bring cameras inside a Manhattan courtroom where the Republican businessman will be arraigned on criminal charges on Tuesday.
In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan, Trump's lawyers said that cameras would only create a circus-like atmosphere at their client's arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and are inconsistent with the former president's presumption of innocence.
Trump's Legal Team Calls to Ban Cameras from Arraignment
The letter's content was made public as the former president was flying in from his home in Florida to New York City ahead of his appearance in court. The situation comes after the Republican businessman was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on charges related to an alleged hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The $130,000 money was supposedly made to keep the porn actress quiet about her alleged affair with the former president. Trump's ex-counsel, Michael Cohen, was the one who delivered the money to Daniels in 2016, as per CNBC.
The indictment has made Trump the first former president of the United States to face criminal charges. This was why media outlets said they wanted to cover as they asked Merchan if they could be allowed to cover the scheduled arraignment on Tuesday using still and video cameras as well as radio recording devices.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which is the one that is prosecuting Trump over the case, wrote a letter to Merchan on Monday. In it, the office did not take a position regarding the cameras and whether or not to allow them inside the courtroom.
The letter, sent by assistant DA Matthew Colangelo, did note that New York state's highest court has upheld the constitutionality of the law that bans audiovisual coverage of most courtroom proceedings.
Trump Arraignment
Instead, Trump attorney Joe Tacopina called for Judge Merchan to refuse the request, saying that cameras are not allowed in the courtrooms. According to the New York Post, he added that there was no reason to make an exception now and allow media outlets to make a "spectacle," according to the New York Post.
Merchan is the judge overseeing the arraignment and previously gave the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Trump's legal team a 1:00 p.m. Monday to submit any objections they may have to the request of the media outlets.
Trump is facing more than 30 counts of falsifying business records and at least one felony charge. The indictment has not yet been made public and remains sealed after it was handed down by the grand jury last week.
On Monday afternoon, a small group of Trump supporters gathered at the former president's namesake tower and waved banners that read, "Trump won" and "Arrest Biden." While the Republican businessman was not able to see his people, but his arrival was met with more fanfare and security than any time after he stepped down from the presidency, said CNN.
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