There are two layers to the insanity: the main courtroom and overflow. Top-floor warriors get there before 7:30 a.m. ET for one of the handful of top bench seats the Marshals arbitrarily dole out. Everyone else gets funneled to overflow, a few floors down.
CoinDesk’s trial team has learned the secrets of both. Court is in recess until Thursday, so today we’ll give you a peek behind the curtain.
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Attendees begin filing in around 9:00 a.m. ET. As long as they stay on the Marshals’ good side, members of the general public retain their seats until close at 4:30 p.m. ET. But there’s plenty of ways to screw up. Don’t chew gum, don’t use cell phones, don’t read newspapers, don’t rip vapes, don’t wear hats and DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT TALKING. All of these infractions can result in eviction and banishment to overflow.
Assuming you 1. Do get in, and 2. Don’t get booted, you have the best seat possible to watch this drama unfold. I recommend watching the jurors’ faces.
Source: The Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: It’s the Courthouse Life for Us
