The American public and people all over the world may get one chance to witness the trial of Donald Trump in Georgia live if the election is not moved to a federal court. (Image: Reuters)
Judge Scott McAfee used the provisions under Georgia’s Rule 22 to allow live streaming, recording and broadcast news networks to cover Donald Trump’s trial.
Judge Scott McAfee who is overseeing the election interference case against former US president Donald Trump and 18 other co-conspirators said that the court proceedings will be livestreamed.
Judge McAfee said that the trial of former US president Donald Trump will be broadcast on the Fulton County Court YouTube channel, the Hill said in a report.
“We’ve been live streaming all of our major proceedings on a Fulton County provided YouTube channel, and our plan was to do that with this case as well,” McAfee said.
McAfee further added that there will be provisions of pool coverage for broadcast news media outlets. The date for the trial is not set yet.
The provision for broadcast and usage of mobile devices has been made under Rule 22, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Rule 22 is a rule that governs the use of devices to record sounds or images in a Georgia courtroom, the news outlet said.
“It is hereby authorised that all parties and spectators are allowed to use recording devices … or non-recording purposes throughout the duration of this case,” the order said, permitting the use of cellphones and laptops in the courtroom during the trial.
Former US president Trump and 18 other co-defendants have been charged in a racketeering case related to efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
The report by the Hill said that this could be the only case against Donald Trump that the public will be able to witness. Trump has been handed four indictments this year and he faces two federal indictments. One indictment is related to the mishandling of classified information and the second one is related to 2020 election interference.
Federal courtrooms do not allow cameras. Trump also faces charges in Manhattan related to hush money payments made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels before the 2016 elections.
McAfee’s ruling will not apply if either of the co-defendants gets to transfer their case to a federal court like former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Meadows told a judge earlier this Monday during a hearing that his case should be moved. The district judge, Steve Jones, will issue a ruling on this later.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump asked the judge presiding over the 2020 election case in Georgia to sever his case from the 18 other co-conspirators. Some of the co-conspirators have demanded a speedy trial but Trump’s legal team in a new filing highlighted that they will not have the adequate amount of time to prepare their case for the trial scheduled for Kenneth Chesebro on October 23. Chesebro this week demanded his constitutional right to a speedy trial.
Trump’s legal team pointed out that the timing is not enough for preparation and would violate his constitutional right to a fair trial and due process.
“Respectfully, requiring less than two months preparation time to defend a 98-page indictment, charging 19 defendants, with 41 various charges including a RICO conspiracy charge … would violate President Trump’s federal and state constitutional rights to a fair trial and due process of law,” the filing read.
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