Official information has been difficult to come by in the weeks since Trump declared that he would be charged. The majority of what the public understood in the lead-up came from leaks out of DA Bragg’s office and conjecture from political elites and pundits. We still didn’t know what crimes Trump would be charged with when he surrendered to officials, was processed, and then led into the courthouse. It wasn’t until 20 minutes into the hearing that we discovered he’d been charged with 34 charges of falsifying company documents. When the charge was released, it was obvious that they kept it hidden because it is so flimsy and completely laughable. Bragg is engaging in “charge stacking,” a practice which is frowned on as an abusive strategy, the “second charge” that could potentially cause the offense to be a felony is not clear, and the actions Bragg claims constitute the falsifying occurred so long ago that the statute of limitations has expired.
Similarly, the American public was kept in the shadows during the trial. While the judge permitted five group still photographers into the courthouse before the arraignment, he refused news organizations’ request to show the arraignment. Sure, we’ll have access to a transcript, but a transcript doesn’t convey the whole story of what occurred in the courtroom. It lacks facial expressions, verbal intonation, and body language, and as the expression goes, a photo is worth a thousand words.
Although the attorneys for Trump argued against the news organizations’ request, claiming it might pose a security risk as well as disrupt the proceedings, denying the American public access to the courtroom creates a dangerous precedent and undermines trust in the principles of equal protection and due process – especially given the lack of transparency surrounding the indictment itself. One reporter in the courtroom said Trump’s lawyers laughed softly as they looked over the papers, which is understandable given its substance. The American people need to witness things such as that, and ideally they will be able to watch live broadcasts of the preliminary hearing where Trump’s lawyers will be able to skewer Bragg’s case.
But, if Alvin Bragg and his colleagues Soros-funded “justice reformers” George Gascon, Larry Krasner, Kim Gardner, and Kim Foxx have their own way, political opponents will likely be prosecuted behind the scenes, with no means for the public to see what’s going on. And we are aware that many of their media allies will turn a blind eye because they think that people with whom they differ should not have the liberties guaranteed by the Constitution.
