By Blayne Alexander and Charlie Gile - NBC News
If Fulton County (Georgia) materializes a criminal accusation against Donald Trump, it will not be the first time that the former president responds to criminal charges sitting in court. However, it is likely that this time the process will be televised.
Unlike federal courts or Manhattan, where the former president appeared to hear charges against him in the three previous indictments, Georgia law requires that cameras be allowed in court proceedings, with the approval of a judge.
In 2018, the Georgia Supreme Court issued an order amending the law to allow smartphones, underscoring the importance of transparency with the public: "Open courtrooms are an indispensable element of an effective and respected judicial system."
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"It is the policy of Georgian courts to promote access to and understanding of court proceedings, not only by those involved in them, but also by the general public and the media."
[Judge in Trump election interference case sets hearing to discuss what evidence she can reveal in public]
And, unlike in New York, where Trump told the world that he had been indicted but the public had to wait days for the document with the charges to be declassified, Georgia demands that they be made public immediately.
A trial broadcast on live television
The president of the court has the final say on access to the cameras. The media must file a formal request, known as Rule 22, for the judge to review. The request is usually considered a formality, because it is almost always granted.
This means that if the former president is indicted and forced to travel to Atlanta for an in-person appearance, the world would likely see him on camera for the first time as a defendant, standing before a judge and testifying.
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Until now, only a few photos had been allowed in the New York courtroom before their appearances. And there has been no video of Trump — or his lawyers — uttering the words "not guilty."
It also means that a possible criminal trial could be televised in its entirety.
[What legal strategies Trump can employ to escape the charge of election interference]
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has spent more than two years investigating whether Trump and his allies broke the law in Georgia in their efforts to overturn the 2020 election. As that process unfolded in Fulton County Superior Court, it also played out in front of television cameras.
Cameras captured the seats of the grand jury formed to investigate election interference. Earlier this year, Judge Robert McBurney also allowed cameras into a controversial hearing to determine whether the Special Grand Jury report would be made public.
And last month, cameras were present at the grand jury session that will hear Willis' case against Trump and his associates, likely next week.
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McBurney, who has overseen most of the proceedings related to Willis' election meddling investigation, is especially media savvy. Many of his hearings, including those pertaining to the Trump investigation, have been livestreamed on his YouTube channel.
Under Georgia law, judges can weigh several factors when deciding whether to allow cameras, including the consent of the parties involved, concerns about the safety of those participating in the proceedings, and the impact on due process.