A Florida judge issued an order Monday night banning journalists from carrying cell phones and other electronic devices in court in preparation for Tuesday’s arraignment of former President Donald Trump.
Chief Justice Cecilia Altonaga of the Southern District of Florida ordered a ban on all cell phones and electronic devices for members of the press within Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Court in Miami.
President Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on 37 counts related to special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into alleged mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of justice.
Altonaga’s order states that the U.S. Marshals Service will inspect all electronic devices brought into court on Tuesday to “protect the court, court and the public from harm.”
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A judge issued an order Monday night banning journalists from using cell phones and other electronic devices in the courthouse in preparation for the arraignment of former President Donald Trump in Miami. (AP photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Penalties for violating the order could include up to 30 days in prison, a $5,000 fine and/or contempt of court, the judge reminded.
In a 49-page indictment, Smith alleges that Trump intentionally removed classified material when he left the White House in January 2021.
Trump arrives at Miami hotel ahead of federal arraignment
This photographic illustration shows the pages of the unsealed federal indictment of former President Donald Trump in Washington DC on June 9, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The former president has claimed to be a “politically devastated” victim of the confidential documents scandal.
“The Justice Department treats Republicans very differently than Democrats,” Trump said at the Republican convention in Columbus, Georgia, last weekend.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives at Miami International Airport June 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
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Many lawmakers and political commentators in the Capitol have commented on the seriousness of the arraignment and how it could affect President Trump’s campaign.
In November 2022, President Trump announced that he would run for a third term and set up a possible rematch with President Biden, but a conviction could undermine his hopes of retaking the White House. There is
