Donald Trump trial can be televised, judge rules


Thomas Watkins
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The judge overseeing Donald Trump's election interference case in Georgia has ruled that all court proceedings can be live-streamed to the public, setting the stage for what could easily become the most watched trial in US history.

Global and domestic television audiences have followed high-profile US cases with intense interest over the decades, but never before has a former president been prosecuted, let alone on live TV.

The stakes could hardly be higher for Mr Trump, who is the Republican Party front-runner to win next year's nomination to run for president.

He has vigorously denied all charges and says his criminal cases are politically motivated, and the former TV host may well play to the camera as he fights the felony racketeering charges against him.

“If the public is to fully accept the outcome, it will be vitally important for it to witness, as directly as possible, how the trials are conducted, the strength of the evidence adduced and the credibility of witnesses,” a group of Democrats in Congress wrote in a letter last month asking that all of Mr Trump's trials be televised.

US courts vary in whether they permit cameras in the courtroom. Federal courts ban them, but state courts often allow them, including in Georgia, where Mr Trump is due to stand trial on charges he conspired to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden by seven million votes.

Of the four criminal cases Mr Trump faces, only the one in Georgia is being prosecuted by a state, meaning the judge can permit cameras. The other three cases – in Miami, Washington and New York – are federal.

Several of Mr Trump's 18 co-defendants have already asked to have their cases transferred to federal court, where they would avoid the camera's stare.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said on Thursday that he planned to allow live-streaming of the trial on a Fulton County-provided YouTube channel. He said he would also allow video and photographs to be shot by press pool members.

High-profile trials attract millions of viewers in the US and abroad. Some of the more memorable moments of courtroom drama include OJ Simpson, who had been accused of murdering his wife, trying on a pair of gloves that prosecutors said he wore when he killed her.

The gloves appeared far too small for him, leading to his lawyer Johnnie Cochrane's famous line: “If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.”

Simpson was acquitted in 1995.

Trump co-defendant mugshots – in pictures

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Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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 Based: Dubai, UAE

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 Sector: Financial services

 Investment: $9.5m

 Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. 

 
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The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice. 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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Dubai Rugby Sevens

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Runners up: Bahrain

 

West Asia Premiership

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UAE Division Two

Winners: Barrelhouse

Runners up: RAK Rugby

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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

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Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

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Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives. 

The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast. 

As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau

He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker. 

If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah

 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery

Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount

University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China

Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai

Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China

Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs

Updated: September 01, 2023, 6:00 PM`