Should former President Trump's trials be televised?

2023-08-10 19:00:30, Kosova & Bota CNA

Many US states allow courtroom hearings to be broadcast, but federal courts do not. Some US lawmakers are trying to change that rule for the pending federal trials of former President Donald Trump.

The televising of the trials of former US President Donald Trump would arouse massive interest.

But since cameras are banned in federal courts, the only sketches from the hearings describe his recent appearances in Washington and Miami.

Changing the rules against televised proceedings would be a complex process, but some Democratic lawmakers and even Mr. Trump's lawyer, John Lauro, argue that courtroom cameras would improve transparency.

But some others, including the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, fear that the presence of the cameras could negatively affect the trial proceedings. Former federal prosecutor Mark MacDougall agrees.

"I think it's about the impact it can have on litigants, judges, lawyers, witnesses and so on," he says.

Others argue that in America's highly polarized politics, where even basic facts are debated, the camera broadcast could be critical to accountability, says political analyst Calvin Dark.

"If there are no cameras in the courtroom, there is the potential for misinformation or someone in the courtroom to misrepresent or take out of context what's really going on."

Mr. Trump will be a presidential candidate when he goes on trial. Political science expert Dean Lacy says it's hard to predict how the telecast would affect his popularity.

“This could mobilize his supporters and give him free TV time in the midst of intra-party elections. But it can also turn into a disadvantage. He could incriminate himself, he could lose his reputation among independents, maybe among some of his main supporters," he says.

Almost all states allow cameras in courtrooms. High-profile cases such as the trial of OJ Simpson on charges of murder, or that of police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of African-American George Floyd, were broadcast live. A new indictment against former President Donald Trump on election-related charges is expected later this week in Georgia, where cameras are allowed in courtrooms if judges approve. / VOA