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- Dozens of House Democrats are calling on Trump's upcoming January 6 trial to be televised.
- They argue it's important for the public to see the proceedings so they can "fully accept the outcome."
- Televising is generally forbidden, but judges have some authority to allow cameras in courtrooms.
Dozens of House Democrats are urging the Judicial Conference to allow former President Donald Trump's historic January 6 trial to be televised.
In a letter led by Rep. Adam Schiff of California and signed by 37 other House Democrats, the lawmakers argued that allowing for the live broadcast of the trial is necessary "given the extraordinary national importance to our democratic institutions and the need for transparency."
"Given the historic nature of the charges brought forth in these cases, it is hard to imagine a more powerful circumstance for televised proceedings," the lawmakers wrote. "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."
Under the existing rules of criminal procedures, broadcasting is generally forbidden during criminal proceedings in federal courtrooms. But the Judicial Conference, the main policymaking body that oversees the federal court system, can allow the broadcast of proceedings in certain circumstances.
Trump appeared in federal court in DC on Thursday, without any live broadcast, after being hit with his third indictment this year. He was first indicted in March by the Manhattan District Attorney on charges of falsifying business records, and then again in June over his handling of classified documents.
He now faces four criminal charges in relation to his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The next hearing in the case is set for August 28, where Judge Tanya Chutkan will set a trial date.