Trump’s Georgia trial will be broadcast live, judge says

WASHINGTON — Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee said Thursday that all court proceedings related to former President Donald Trump’s election interference case will be broadcast live for the public.

McAfee also said members of the press will be allowed to use their computers and cell phones in the courtroom provided those devices are not used to record the trial.

While federal courts largely prohibit courtroom photography and recording, Fulton County is streaming court proceedings on its YouTube channel.

Broadcasting Trump’s proceedings would give the public unprecedented access to what will be one of the most high-profile trials in American history.

Earlier this month, congressional Democrats, led by California Rep. Adam Schiff, called for Trump’s federal criminal trials to be televised.

“If the public is to fully accept the outcome, it will be vitally important that they witness, as directly as possible, how the trials are conducted, the strength of the evidence presented and the credibility of the witnesses” , said Schiff and 37 members of the caucus, “wrote his caucus in a letter to Judge Roslynn Mauskopf, who heads the administrative offices of the American courts.

The letter was released hours after Trump was impeached in Washington, DC, where the former president pleaded not guilty to four charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Trump, the current Republican presidential frontrunner, faces 13 charges, including racketeering, solicitation of false statements and criminal conspiracy. He pleaded not guilty on Thursday and will be arraigned on September 6.

Trump himself has been cautious about whether he wants cameras at his upcoming trial in Georgia.

In a New York case where he is accused of filing false business records, Trump’s lawyers in April opposed a media request to allow cameras in court.

But another Trump attorney, John Lauro, said earlier this month that court cameras would be acceptable.

“I personally would love to see that,” Lauro said in an interview with Fox News, adding “I’m confident the Biden administration doesn’t want the American people to see ‘Trump on trial.’

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