Should the federal trials against Donald Trump be televised?

But that will happen regardless of if it’s televised. The only way to stop that is if the trial location was kept a secret. As far as im aware, everyone knows where it will be.

Perhaps, but if people know what's going on and then get "outraged" by something, that's going to be a problem.
 
I think we can all agree that a trial, especially in Florida and Georgia, will likely result in a refusal to convict even if the evidence presented is overwhelming, since just one hyper-partisan Trump juror may slip through voir dire rather easily. The conspiracy case in Georgia may seem too broad or complex for some jurors since it involve many indictments, and it may not even go to trial. We shouldn’t assume too much.

But all this is just the way it goes in a democracy where jury trials are a precious tradition. Trump, in any case, will get all his rights and has all the best lawyers that money can buy.

I still think transparency and full coverage of Trump’s eventual trials are important. Sure, most Trump supporters will not watch them if they are carried live, or listen to anything but reports on Fox or other extreme pro-Trump media quoting his own lawyers. But that’s their right. They are free to spend their time as they wish. They can watch football games on TV or go to their local shooting range or restaurant & bar! It’s a free country after all.

Only a limited number may actually carefully watch and learn something from the abundant evidence that will be presented. Maybe a couple hundred thousand will hear something that shakes their belief that the conduct of their hero was criminal and not at all … “perfect.”

The most important verdict will come in November, 2024. That will be the verdict of the voters.

It really shouldn't be a jury trial. There's no way a jury trial will be fair. However perhaps there is no fair way to deal with someone like Trump, in a country where people don't seem to care that much about whether there's guilt or not, it's just about what people want.

Even in November next year, the people won't get to vote properly because the US voting system is so fucked up. People won't have a proper choice of who to vote for.

With Proportional Representation, it wouldn't be Biden v. Trump. It'd be better candidates.
 
Perhaps, but if people know what's going on and then get "outraged" by something, that's going to be a problem.
I just don’t see it as a problem. Being the jury in a secure entrance in a van with blacked out windows so nobody can see them. There may be protesters but I think the risk is negligible compared to what would be lost if the trial isn’t televised.
 
I just don’t see it as a problem. Being the jury in a secure entrance in a van with blacked out windows so nobody can see them. There may be protesters but I think the risk is negligible compared to what would be lost if the trial isn’t televised.

If the trial is shown AFTER it's finished, nothing is lost.
 
Here is an interesting question: Would the “Founding Fathers,” were they alive today, advocate an open (today that would mean televised) trial? Would that be in the best interests of the country?

Donald Trump’s lawyer has reportedly requested this, and our very Conservative Supreme Court may eventually rule on it. I believe it is a very good idea, even though such Federal Trials are by custom not televised.

We will have millions of Americans following the important D.C & Florida cases via their favorite media “spin doctors” in any case. We have seen there is virtually no possibility of a national consensus developing this way.

But a courtroom trial before a jury is very different, since both sides can present arguments and evidence (which the Judge can control for “relevance”) and the prosecution and defense cases are not made primarily to reinforce the political prejudices of an uninformed audience, but to convince jurors who in the course of the trial will hear abundant testimony, evidence and arguments from both sides.

Whatever the trial outcome, an open televised trial in my opinion will be an important way to educate viewers.
There is an old saying, sunlight is the best disinfectant. Yes the trial should be televised including jury selection and consideration of motions. The judicial system belongs to the people, we should be able to see how it works and make our own judgements on the fairness of the process. Courtrooms are open to the public, this would just be an extension of that.
 
If the trial is shown AFTER it's finished, nothing is lost.

Again, I don’t want a watered down version told to me by some agenda driven media outlet. Something edited and cut. It would be too easy for them to selectively cut out things.

I just don’t think there is a valid reason to not air it live. I think the jury concerns could easily be solved.

I can just see it now. CNN will report the trial one way, and fox will report it another way, and we’ll all be here arguing about it.

About the only way a taped version would work is if each media outlet were allowed to have the entire, unedited, gavel to gavel coverage, no cuts, no commercial interruptions.
 
Again, I don’t want a watered down version told to me by some agenda driven media outlet. Something edited and cut. It would be too easy for them to selectively cut out things.

I just don’t think there is a valid reason to not air it live. I think the jury concerns could easily be solved.

I can just see it now. CNN will report the trial one way, and fox will report it another way, and we’ll all be here arguing about it.

About the only way a taped version would work is if each media outlet were allowed to have the entire, unedited, gavel to gavel coverage, no cuts, no commercial interruptions.

Again, even if it were live, most people would fall back on their media outlets to tell them what to think. You will watching live or watch it after the event and you'll still be swimming against the tide of ignorance, indifference and manipulation.
 
There is an old saying, sunlight is the best disinfectant. Yes the trial should be televised including jury selection and consideration of motions. The judicial system belongs to the people, we should be able to see how it works and make our own judgements on the fairness of the process. Courtrooms are open to the public, this would just be an extension of that.
I agree, BUT, you raised the issue of Jury Selection — which I think for security reasons no Judge would ever allow to be broadcast live. It’s important, but just too dangerous.

If I remember from trials I’ve seen or served on as a juror, it would be really difficult to show the defense and prosecutors asking personal questions to select a jury without the identify of jurors being exposed.

They may have prospective jurors answer written questions or fill out a general form and both sides may even be allowed to research their history beforehand … for all I know. :dunno:

Each judge and each state policy and even the Federal district courts may have different policies! I doubt the Supreme Court will get involved unless petitioned by one side or the other.

The more I think about it, I fear the odds are low that we will ever actually see voir dire or maybe any of the actual trials broadcast live, as interesting or as important as we think that would be.

Anyone know if they still use court reporters using those stenograpghic machines instead of taping testimony in most Federal and state courts?

Or am I showing my age? Once upon a time … I even dated a court stenographer! :cool:
 
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There is an old saying, sunlight is the best disinfectant. Yes the trial should be televised including jury selection and consideration of motions. The judicial system belongs to the people, we should be able to see how it works and make our own judgements on the fairness of the process. Courtrooms are open to the public, this would just be an extension of that.
/----/ Amen.
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I fear we may have either a paranoid schizophrenic or an obsessed “devil worshipper” in the house! :)
 
Again, even if it were live, most people would fall back on their media outlets to tell them what to think. You will watching live or watch it after the event and you'll still be swimming against the tide of ignorance, indifference and manipulation.
So, what is your aversion to having it aired live? Is it just the jury issue? Is that the only thing? Like I said, that can be addressed and shouldn’t be an issue. Aside from that, there is always going to be protesters anyway.
 
It is beginning to look like the Federal trials of ex-President Donald Trump will not be televised, though that can still change.

On the other hand, it seems very likely the Georgia state trial — which is the most complex but now seems likely to be held first — WILL be televised.

Trump's federal trials will not be televised. Georgia could be different

Could Trump's potential Georgia trial be televised?
/——/ Great News. Trump can use it to bump his poll numbers and generate millions in campaign donations. Awesome
 

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