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Former US President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court during his arraignment on April 4, 2023, in New York City (Getty Images)
A Fulton County judge in Georgia presiding over the extensive 2020 election interference racketeering case involving former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants has granted permission for all proceedings in his courtroom pertaining to the case to be livestreamed and televised. However, it's important to note that this ruling may be subject to modification and would not be applicable to any segments of the case transferred to federal court.
During a court hearing held on Thursday, Superior Court of Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, to whom the case was assigned, stated his intention to make all hearings and potential trials accessible for broadcast on the Fulton County Court YouTube channel. Additionally, Judge McAfee confirmed that broadcast news media would be permitted to utilize "pool" cameras, allowing groups of news organizations to collaborate and share camera access within the courtroom.
Remarkably, neither defense attorneys nor prosecutors voiced opposition to the media's request for cameras during the proceedings.
Furthermore, Judge McAfee's ruling extends to the Fulton County state case, but it does not encompass federal court proceedings. Several defendants involved in Georgia's extensive state racketeering case, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, have sought to have their cases transferred to federal court, where cameras, computers, and smartphones are not permitted within the courtroom. The decision on whether to move the Fulton County election subversion case to federal court now lies with US District Judge Steve Jones, who could render a ruling at any time.
This matter emerged after Judge Jones posed a legal question regarding the potential relocation of the case, specifically in situations where one of the described episodes in the racketeering case pertained to actions carried out by Meadows in his capacity as a federal officeholder. District Attorney Fani Willis contended in her recent brief that such a finding alone would not warrant the case's transfer, while Meadows' attorneys argued otherwise.
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