A group of news organizations including ABC, Associated Press, and CNN are asking a New York judge to allow for the broadcasting of closing arguments of former President Donald Trump’s trial on Jan. 11.
“Without video coverage in the courtroom, the only video available to the public will be, at best, out-of-courtroom reporting and, at worst, political spin that may have little relationship to what actually transpired in these proceedings.”
The media is requesting a single pool videographer who will agree to security clearance checks.
President Trump had been on trial since Oct. 2, 2023, in a civil lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The former president made major headlines when he attended the first day of the trial, speaking to the press at length during breaks. He had attended court regularly since then, including giving a lengthy testimony on the witness stand.
The attorney general had accused President Trump and other Trump Organization executives of fraud in the form of artificially inflating the company’s financial statements and President Trump’s net worth to obtain favorable loan terms.
The judge had partially ruled a week before trial in Ms. James’s favor, and the trial was meant to deal only with the damages President Trump would owe and to require the attorney general to show intent.
On Jan. 11, the state attorneys are expected to argue to what extent President Trump and other executives should be accountable for fraud, while defense attorneys are expected to continue to argue no fraud took place, and perhaps make allegations of bias in the courtroom, to preserve a record for the expected appeal.
Justice Engoron had previously rejected the news organizations’ request to broadcast opening arguments, stating he was “afraid I’m constrained to deny it.”
The media argue that the New York court system’s official policy permits facilitating audio-video coverage of the courts “to the fullest extent permitted,” to “maintain the broadest scope of public access to the courts, to preserve public confidence in the judiciary, and to foster public understanding of the role of the judicial branch in civil society.”
“These goals, while laudable in any court proceeding, are at their zenith in this historic proceeding,” the letter reads.
There is no law that would prevent the broadcast of attorneys making their arguments, so the issue of live testimony is no longer an issue.
“The news organizations respectfully request that the court reconsider that decision in connection with the closing arguments, particularly because, with the close of evidence last year, the summations by counsel are even further removed from any live witness testimony and are well outside the ban on filming witnesses.”
The news organizations note that the attorney general’s office did not oppose the request, and the defense did not respond.
