– Donald Trump’s hush-money trial at Manhattan’s criminal court is not televised, leading to high demand for a limited number of spots inside the courtroom for the public and media.
– Professional line sitters have been hired to wait in line for individuals wanting to attend the trial, with prices doubling and demand increasing for spots near the front of the queue.
– Line sitting is a controversial practice, especially for courtroom spaces like the Supreme Court, where attorneys are prohibited from using line sitters to hold their places for arguments.
Donald Trump’s hush-money trial in Manhattan’s criminal court is not being televised, so seats for the public and media are limited and distributed on a first-come-first-served basis. This has led to long lines outside the courtroom, and some people are hiring professional line sitters to hold their place. Professional line sitters have been cashing in on the trial, where Trump is facing fraud charges related to hush-money paid to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. The demand for spots in the courtroom has led to high offers for places in the queue, with some paying hundreds of dollars to secure a spot.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former “fixer” and a key witness in the trial, recently took the witness stand, fueling interest in the proceedings. Robert Samuels, who runs a line-sitting company, reported that his business has had to increase staffing due to the trial. This practice of hiring professional line sitters is controversial, especially for high-profile trials, as some believe it goes against the intent of equal access to the court. However, for events like the Supreme Court, professional line sitters have been a common practice, with some charging high hourly rates depending on the event and the length of the wait. The Supreme Court explicitly prohibits attorneys from using line sitters to hold their place in line, emphasizing that only those who intend to attend arguments are allowed in the Bar section.