The US judiciary prevents the live broadcast of the Trump hearing
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan denied a request by several media organizations for permission to broadcast the hearing of former President Donald Trump.
Although impeaching Trump is considered a public measure, news cameras are not usually allowed to broadcast from inside the courtroom.
According to Russia Today, Judge Mershan said that only five photographers would be allowed to take pictures of Trump and the courtroom before the hearing began.
"It cannot be contested that this impeachment involves a matter of great importance. Never before in the history of the United States has a sitting or former president been criminally charged. The impeachment of Trump has generated unparalleled public interest and media interest," Merchan wrote in response to the media request. The public rightly craves the most accurate and up-to-date information available, and to suggest otherwise would be disingenuous.”
"While the media's request was understandable, the interests of news organizations in providing the broadest possible access to the proceedings must be weighed against competing interests," he added.
Earlier on Monday, Trump's lawyers urged the judge to deny the media's request for cameras in the courtroom.
The media that tried to get the cameras into the courtroom argued that "the seriousness of this procedure ... and therefore, the need to reach the widest possible audience, cannot be overstated."
The indictment stems from Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg's investigation into silent money payments, during the 2016 presidential campaign, to women who alleged extramarital affairs with Trump.
The former president denies any wrongdoing and his lawyers said last week they would fight to have the charges dismissed.
