m******1 发帖数: 19713 | 1 How Much Does a Seat at the Supreme Court Cost?
Tickets to the Supreme Court are technically free but some are paying
thousands to hire proxies to stand in line for a chance to watch the
hearings.
BY MICHELLE GARCIA MARCH 26 2013 3:27 PM ET
Some of the people sitting with a front-row seat to history as the Supreme
Court hears arguments regarding marriage equality this week may have paid as
much as $6,000 for their spot.
Tickets to the Supreme Court are technically free, according to the
Associated Press. However, some who wanted to avoid waiting in line or even
camping out for days in Washington's wintery weather for a seat, were able
to pay other people to wait in line for them.
For the more controversial cases, onlookers queue for tickets about a day in
advance. For the hearings on Proposition 8, and the Defense of Marriage Act
, some people were camped out a week in advance. Companies like linestanding
.com are charging between $36-$50 per hour, making a five-day wait cost $6,
000.
The courtroom only seats about 500, people, but seats are reserved mainly
for court staff, journalists, guests, of the justices, and lawyers arguing
for the case, as well as attorneys who are members of the Supreme Court bar.
That leaves about 60 seats for the general public, and an additional 30
rotating seats to watch 3-5 minute segments of the arguments. |
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