Trump Doesn't Want Spotlight In Courtroom

Former President Donald Trump's legal team on Monday argued against cameras being present during his arraignment York on Tuesday.

Trump is set to be arraigned, potentially on multiple charges, in New York following Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation into a hush payment allegedly made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels in relation to an alleged affair during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and has maintained his innocence in the case.

He was indicted in the case last week, making him the first former U.S. president to face charges in a criminal case.

Ahead of the highly-publicized arraignment, Trump's attorneys sent a judge to New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan urging him to deny a request from several media outlets that Trump's arraignment be broadcasted, CNN reported.

His attorneys argued cameras being present in the court would create a "circus-like atmosphere" while also raising security concerns.

"We submit that the media request should be denied because it will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence," Trump's legal team wrote, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, the Manhattan district attorney's office deferred to the judge as to whether the arraignment should be broadcasted but noted there "does not appear to be a categorical prohibition on cameras during an arraignment," according to CNN.

Former. U.S. Attorney Gene Rossi told Newsweek that Justice Merchan will have broad discretion in the case but will have to weigh the rights of Trump's right to a fair trial against the media's First Amendment rights. He added that he would also have to consider whether lawyers and witnesses could potentially be affected by the presence of cameras.

"We always have to remember that any defendant, including President Trump, is entitled to the presumption of innocence. In a trial, you want to ensure that the process is fair," he said. "I agree with Trump's lawyers that adding cameras to the proceedings, whether it's the trial or pretrial hearings including arraignment—that will poison any jury pool that could be chosen to decide the fate of Donald Trump."

Former Federal Prosecutor Neama Rahmani offered a similar assessment to Newsweek, explaining that there is "no set formula on how a judge should rule on a media request to televise the proceedings."

"If the defense can successfully argue that the media attention will taint the jury pool, that is a reason to deny cameras. There is also the unique security issues presented in the case, because of Trump's secret service detail," he said.

Rahmani added these decisions are "rarely overturned on appeal."

Some New York Democrats have pushed for changes to state law to require the trial to be televised. State Senator Brad Hoylman tweeted he supports this legislation because "America has a right to watch the trial of the century."

Ahead of the arraignment, Trump flew to New York from Florida Monday afternoon. The arraignment is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET, and he is expected to deliver remarks later that day at 8:15 from his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment.