Published in:Thursday, May 23, 2024. 12:00 amLast update:Thursday, May 23, 2024. 12:00 am
Washington – A number of people brave the weather in New York as they line up outside the courtroom, seeking to attend even part of the sessions in Donald Trump’s criminal trial, as they sometimes pay large sums of money to people who ask them to reserve their places in line.
Professor Richard Partington (43 years old), who arrived outside the courthouse two days before the start of the proceedings to increase his chances of entering, described the trial as “one of the most magical and exciting experiences in my life.”
After passing through a series of checkpoints, old elevators, and a long corridor, Partington, along with six or seven other people, were able to follow the course of the first criminal case in history facing a former American president.
Trump is facing charges of falsifying business records to hide compensation he paid to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to pay the latter money to buy the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels, with whom the real estate mogul is accused of having a sexual relationship.
Public spectators, along with about 50 journalists, joined the wooden benches and Trump’s allies, including senior Republican figures, his supporters, and his family, to follow developments in the historical case. Partington said, “I learned a lot from watching the news, but I think there is a part of the truth that you discover when you are inside the courtroom, when you see Donald Trump passing by eight times a day and you see the judge and the jury.” He added that “the outcome of this trial is likely to affect the elections in some direction,” stressing his fear of a second presidential term for Trump.
In addition to some protesters, whether with or against Trump, spectators seeking to attend the sessions arrive from all over the United States. Retired lawyer Peter Osetic traveled about 4,800 kilometers from San Diego to visit his son in New York and watch “history in the making.”
Those following the trial are more fortunate in a spare room, where its proceedings are broadcast live to about 30 members of the public and journalists who are unable to be present in the main courtroom.
Justin Ford of Connecticut, who works in information technology, said he lined up for a chance to see “the former president of the United States being tried, and it’s not televised, and I want to see it with my own eyes.”
Ford (42 years old) was unable to enter the courtroom despite his arrival at midnight, and he became familiar with the criminal details of the trial, as he reads the full text records that are published on the court’s website daily.
The entry queue is based on giving priority to those who come first, which often leads to making money by waiting in place of people who pay them.
Professionals are lining up to get into court for $50 an hour, with the best spots in line being sold for as much as $2,000 when Trump’s arch-opponent Michael Cohen testifies. Ford described the “pay to watch” phenomenon as “unfortunate.”
Funk Sangodie (48 years old), a consultant from Brooklyn who described herself as “totally addicted to politics,” paid $700 for a place in the spare room. “It was great to see the American judicial system holding a president accountable. It is a historic moment,” she said.
The trial confirms above all that “no one is above the law,” according to pediatrician Cindy Mobley (64 years old), who traveled two and a half hours on a train from Baltimore. “There is a feeling that this is the last thing left that can unite our ranks,” she said after spending part of the night in a sleeping bag at the courthouse. Agencies
Newsessentials Blog 
Posted on May 23, 2024
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