Prominent US media organisations have written to the New York judge, who is slated to preside over Donald Trump’s arraignment, to unseal the indictment charge pronounced by the grand jury.
Additionally, they have sought permission to broadcast Trump’s imminent appearance in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday for his arraignment.
CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal are among the news outlets who have made the request.
In their letter to Judge Juan Merchan on Friday, they said that “the right of access is at its zenith when applied to the first ever indictment of a former US president.”
“And no higher values are served by keeping the indictment under seal. Aside from the fact that a former US president is not a flight risk, maintaining the indictment under seal, despite the public disclosure of its existence, only fuels speculation as to its contents. Full disclosure of the indictment will enhance both the general public’s and the parties’ right to an accurate public understanding of the charges,” the request said.
“As such, former President Trump’s indictment should be unsealed without delay.”
Though the judge is under no obligation to make the indictment charge public, the contents of it will anyway be revealed when Trump appears in court Tuesday.
Noting the gravity of this proceeding, the media outlets asserted that the “need for the broadest possible public access, cannot be overstated.”
In their letter, the news organizations have requested for a “limited number of photographers, videographers, and radio journalists to be present at the arraignment,” and adding that they are making “this limited request for audio-visual coverage in order to ensure that the operations of the court will not be disrupted in any way.”
The 76-year-old Republican leader is expected to surrender at the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday afternoon, before being arraigned in the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building.
The arraignment is expected to take place in a 15th floor courtroom, where Justice Juan Merchan, a state Supreme Court judge, will hear the case.
The exact charges have not been unsealed, but according to CNN, Trump will most likely be charged in 30 counts related to financial fraud.
(With inputs from agencies)
