US judge asks Trump if he wants his federal election trial televised

[ificandream]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday asked former President Donald Trump whether he wants to appear on television when he stands trial in federal court on charges of attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington asked Trump’s lawyers to give their opinion by Nov. 10 on media requests to broadcast the trial, which is scheduled to begin in March 2024.

In two separate filings, NBC News and a coalition of 19 media organizations and press advocacy groups argue that the public has a right to see an unprecedented trial of a former U.S. president who is also the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination. They argue that a federal rule barring broadcast of criminal proceedings is unconstitutional.

Prosecutors have said in court filings that they oppose the effort but have not explained why. They are due to file their argument by Nov. 3.



Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-judge-asks-trump-if-he-wants-his-federal-election-trial-televised-2023-10-27/

---

Please, please, please!

[Siwsan]

1. The prosecutors might be worried about 'real time' trouble from the cult

and how they will act out when they fear their god is being blasphemed.

[The Grand Illuminist]

8. There is also the OJ effect

Where the trial will drag on and on. People thought the OJ trial would last 3 months, but it took almost a year to complete.

[Katcat]

45. Or

The prosecutors know by saying NO television it’s just as likely that will cause trump to demand it be televised.

[Siwsan]

48. Good point!

I hope it is televised.

[Wonder Why]

2. "Only the defense part & not any cross-examinations with lots of time to have my face repainted"

[Chainfire]

3. Trump performing for the camera? I have mixed feelings about it.

[Rebl2]

4. Exactly

You know he will go into performance mode. I think prosecutors should have a say.

[Ocelot II]

6. Me, too. I'd love to watch but I get why the prosecutors would rather not

have the trial televised - the potential for TFG acting up and his lawyers speechifying is considerable, even though he's not likely to testify himself. The positive thing about live proceedings is that everyone could see all testimony and TFG's mouthpieces couldn't spin it on Fox. The George Floyd murder trial was televised - the first time a criminal trial was ever televised in MN - and I think it went a long way to let people see how a trial is done fairly.

[brooklynite]

22. I'm not aware that the prosecution has expressed an opinion.

And Trump's ability to act up is extremely constrained.

[Ocelot II]

23. From the article cited in the OP:

"Prosecutors have said in court filings that they oppose the effort but have not explained why. They are due to file their argument by Nov. 3."

[hibbing]

11. I say please no

With his idiot supporters, AI and video editing/manipulation I would rather not.

[PortTack]

12. Same...not a good idea

[2naSalit]

24. I'm 50/50 about it...

Could go either way.

[MOMFUDSKI]

5. Why would the Judge show any deference to

the tangerine tantrum? What am I missing here?

[ancianita]

10. Now that a judicial panel's decided, Chutkan has to at least ask Trump as a matter of due process.

To help "appeal-proof" the trial over "insufficient due process."

[Captain Zero]

34. Just to have it from the horses ass mouth

For some reason.

[melm00se]

40. Not the horse's mouth

but rather the horse's ass.

[Marthe48]

42. They'll cut the hamburder in pieces for him

Why does anyone kowtow to traitor?

[ancianita]

7. Did Chutkan not get the news about the federal judicial panel's latest ruling? They said

no, their hands are tied, and even if they could, she'd have to throw her March trial out until 2026. If she did know...

She's probably only asking Trump to appeal-proof her case if Trump's team were to appeal on grounds of "failure of due process." Of course he'll want a trial in 2026!

yesterday from brooklynite
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143150407

A federal judicial panel has turned down a bid to allow live television coverage of two historic criminal trials of former President Donald Trump scheduled for next year.

Without apparent dissent, a committee that handles potential changes to the federal courts’ criminal rules concluded Thursday that it had no ability to alter the existing ban on broadcasting federal criminal trials.

“We have no authority to authorize exceptions to an across-the-board, straight rule.”

The head of the Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules, U.S. District Judge James Dever, also said the glacial pace federal law prescribes for amending federal court rules means that, even if the panel approved a change, it wouldn’t take effect until 2026 or 2027.

[Dave Bowman]

9. The vain cretin sure wouldn't mind having his mug on TV.

If it happens then the insane OJ media circus would look reasonable in comparison.

[Oopsie Daisy]

13. Do the OPPOSITE of whatever he says he wants.

[halobeam]

27. I like this idea best so far.

[msongs]

14. only if joe biden gets equal time nt

[LetMyPeopleVote]

15. This makes me smile

Link to tweet

[DJ Porkchop]

16. Letting TV producers win this one

would be as heinous a decision as when Joe Scarborough took calls from him for a year before the election.

MSM needs clicks and video to sell. This is not a good enough reason and we will all feel sick about it later.

I want to see it too. But don't you believe it would muck up this place even more?

Not my clown - not my circus.

[Novara]

17. She asked the prosecution. Now she is asking the defense

He was humiliated by Engoron the other day so that may be fresh in his mind. It's a toss-up whether his ego will win or if he has a shred of self-awareness that sitting silently in the courtroom makes him look extremely weak, not strong.

[3Hotdogs]

18. The only part I would want to see would be cross examination of Anal Fistula if he

testifies.

[Captain Zero]

35. Anal Fistulas are very ugly when they testify

Antibiotics will be required for all of us.

[Novara]

19. The public has an interest in seeing a presidential candidate tried for felonies before the election

This isn't entertainment. It's in the public interest to see a former president on trial for multiple felonies, especially before the election. We need to see exactly how he tried to steal an election he lost.

[Oneironaut]

33. The only problem, imo, is that the media ruins everything.

Prepare for, “Did you see how HILARIOUS Trump was on the stand? Americans can’t get enough of it!” This in part will help him, because people love a trainwreck, and, the media refuses to take anything seriously.

[IcyPeas]

20. As much as I'd like to watch it... i dont think its a good idea.

Trump is ALL about tv ratings. The ratings for this would be YUUUGE

[LudwigPastorius]

21. His lawyers probably don't plan on him taking the stand.

They know that if he gets up there under oath, their case is lost.

Trump, on the other hand, I'm sure wants to testify, especially if it means TV time.

Counting down to when he will fire the lot of them and start over with a new gaggle of strip mall lawyers.

[FakeNoose]

25. If this trial is televised - we have no need to worry

Chump won't be lionized in a televised trial, he won't be made into a "TV star."

What will happen is for once the American public will see the unvarnished, unedited TRUTH about him. He can't control himself, he angers visibly and quickly, when anyone questions or disagrees with his answers. He can't speak in complete sentences, because he keeps interrupting himself with unrelated thoughts. (Often his crazy speeches and interviews were backwards edited by journalists in an attempt to make him sound intelligent. BUT that's not how he speaks.)

Chump cannot speak the truth, he only says what he thinks you want to hear. "Truth" is meaningless, even when he's under oath. Instead of answering questions, he'll throw unrelated accusations back at the prosecutors and judge. It will be so easy to fact-check him and prove him wrong directly to his face, and he won't be able to handle it.

It will become obvious to everyone - including the MAGA crowd - how inept Chump is when they see him at trial. In real-time live TV, it will be an obvious mess. Nobody can turn it into a slickly edited production. Just ask Mark Burnett, the former producer of "The Apprentice" and "Celebrity Apprentice" TV series.

[slightlv]

26. I agree with you, FakeNoose...

I want the trial televised for some of the very reasons you stated. In addition, something this important to American History... this pivotal... I think needs to be televised. Don't let the spin monkey's get their hands on "court reports" etc... we see how that's going right now with the *rumps civil trial in NY. Let the plain words from the witnesses mouths be spoken for all to hear (at least) and see. Let everyone see his temperament. I'd bet enough of these MAGA cultists have had their own run-ins with the law to know how a courtroom is suppose to be run, and how people are "suppose" to act. It will be in-their-face all the time if it's televised how inappropriate for the office *rump is.

I also want to see the FL trial televised, but it won't be. Too many secrets that could come out to the public about TS documents. But both of these trials put the traitor on trial. Historically... and for the present time... it's too important to be kept hidden in the background and reported on only by reporters with their own skin in the game. Journalism is gone; it's now all sensationalism.

[FakeNoose]

28. Agree with you about the Florida trial - some secrets cannot be revealed

It's important that the Washington DC trial be televised for the entire world to see him.

The Georgia trial might be interesting, just to hear all those lawyers flipping on him.

[Rhiannon12866]

38. Well said. That's exactly the reason it was considered a good idea to have it televised

The public would be confronted with his egregious crimes - and his ridiculous behavior, especially if he's forced to testify.

[KS Toronado]

29. IMHO, the question we should be asking ourselves

If televised will it help or hurt us at the ballot box. Anybody have their crystal ball warmed up?

[Old Crank]

30. Federal rule was to prevent grandstanding

However it seems his lawyers in NY are doing that in their case. It might hurt him to be seem by many as a petulant child.

[PSPS]

31. This would be a big mistake. Trump would turn it into a reality-show "trial by media" sideshow

Sure, all the media outlets are clamoring for it. They chase the freak everywhere and can't get enough of anything OUTRAGEOUS!!!111! Tune in and watch THE DRAMA!!11! WHAT WILL HE SAY!!11! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS!11!!11!!

Even the judge would become a "celebrity." Remember "The Dancing Itos" on Leno? The SNL skits? ARGH. It doesn't get any lower-brow than that.

This is serious business and shouldn't be turned into a circus sideshow, which is all the media is about anymore.

[tavernier]

39. You have changed my mind.

Yes, it would become exactly what you write.

This trial is deadly serious and should be handled appropriately, despite how much we wish to be in the courtroom.

[Oneironaut]

32. Meh

I wish this buffoon would just go away. He’s the world’s most annoying person, and, if his trial isn’t televised, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

[Captain Zero]

36. We need more voo doo dolls NOW.

NT

[BigOleDummy]

37. I'm with a few....

... others here in ....hmmmmmm maybe? No mistake it will turn into a circus at least a few times. Not so sure even his glaring and pouting and ridiculous scow with arms folded would change any magaite now. It's truly frightening to me how deeply his cult believes hes almost divine.

[ificandream]

41. I don't care how much he tries to make it a media circus televising his trial is not good for him.

There are, I believe, enough Mitt Romney-type Republicans left who hate this SOB and don't want him as president again. Televising the trial can't help but reinforce that. And then there's the independents who, I believe, REALLY hate him.

I think, despite the look he tries to give it, he knows he's in big trouble. If he gets his lawyers to try and not have the trial televised - and I suspect that's what will happen, his worst aspects will be out for everyone to see. It can only make his re-election chances worse.

[Native]

43. As much as I'd like to watch this, I believe the prosecutors have good reason to object.

[ificandream]

44. A good Democratic strategy for the 2024 election ...

Tell people they can send Trump to jail by voting for Biden. I think a lot of people on the bubble might just vote for Biden just based on that. You know that magats would do that if the situation was reversed. Time to give them a little of their own medicine.

[world wide wally]

46. He probably spends every day practicing his fake scowl in front of a mirror and calls it "rehearsing"

[ificandream]

47. All he needs is the clown makeup.

[Shoonra]

49. Not a right, but the judge's discretion

Contrary to the filing by NBC and the other media, the public does not have a "right" to see a TV broadcast of what happens in a courtroom.

This was decided by the US Supreme Court in Nixon v. Warner Communications Inc. (1978) 435 US 589 at 610, 55 L.Ed.2d 570 at 587, 98 S.Ct 1305 at 1318, 3 Media Law Rep 2074; also Estes v. Texas (1965) 381 US 532 at 539-542, 14 L.Ed.2d 543 , 85 S.Ct 1628, 1 Media L. Rep 1187; and several other court decisions.

The permission to broadcast or webcast court proceedings is entrusted to the judge, who has to consider such things as the probable behavior of the participants, the possibility that this case will be sent back on appeal for a new trial, courtroom security, etc.

[samplegirl]

50. Why should he have a say in this?

What next??? Let him pick his own jury!

[BobsYourUncle]

51. Videotape it for history,

and send a copy to the National Archives, enter it in the congressional record, the archives of friendly governments. Do it for history. Do it by stages, securely without releasing it publicly until the trial is over, including possible appeals.
If our democracy survives the 2024 election, let it be open to the world. We might learn something.