ATLANTA, Georgia – If Donald Trump is indicted in Georgia’s Fulton County, it won’t be the first time the former president has faced criminal charges in court. But this time, the entire process is likely to take place on live television.
Unlike the federal courts or the Manhattan courthouse, where the former president appeared at his three other impeachment hearings, Georgia law requires that cameras be allowed into court proceedings with the approval of a judge.
In 2018, the Georgia Supreme Court, in an order that changed the law to include smartphones, stressed the importance of transparency: “Open courtrooms are an indispensable element of an effective and respected court system.”
“It is the policy of the Georgian courts to promote access to and understanding of court proceedings not only by participants in them, but also by the general public and by the media that will report the proceedings to the public,” it added. the highest court of that state.
And unlike in New York, where Trump told the world he had been indicted but the public had to wait days for the document to be unsealed, Georgia requires the allegations be made public immediately.
The presiding judge has the final say on access for television cameras.
Media organizations must submit a formal request, known as Rule 22, for the judge’s consideration. Filing is often considered more of a formality, as requests are almost always granted.
This means that if the former president is indicted and must travel to Atlanta for an in-person arraignment, the world will likely see him on camera for the first time as a defendant, standing before a judge and entering a guilty plea. So far, only a handful of photos have been allowed in the New York City courtroom before his arraignment. And there has been no video of Trump, or his lawyers, uttering the words “not guilty.”
It also means that a possible criminal trial could be televised in its entirety.
TRUMP, GEORGIA AND THE 2020 ELECTION
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has spent more than two years investigating whether Trump and his allies broke Georgia law in their alleged efforts to intervene in the 2020 election. As that process unfolded in Superior Court of Fulton County, also took place in front of television cameras.
Cameras captured the special grand jury set up to investigate election interference. Earlier this year, Judge Robert McBurney also allowed cameras inside a hearing to determine whether the Special Purpose Grand Jury’s report would be made public.
Former President Donald Trump would be impeached for his attempt to reverse the election results in Georgia in 2020. To see more from Telemundo, visit
And in July, television cameras were on hand for the location of the grand jury that will hear Willis’s case against Trump and his associates, likely next week.
McBurney, who oversaw most of the proceedings related to the Willis investigation into election interference, is particularly savvy with the media. Many of his hearings, including those related to the Trump investigation, have been broadcast live on his YouTube channel.
Under Georgia law, judges can weigh several factors when deciding whether to allow cameras, including the consent of the parties involved, concerns about the safety of those involved in the proceedings, and the impact on due process.
