On a cloudy, deep steel blue-grey Saturday evening at 5:16 PM, through the burnished marble South Entrance Hall, Manhattan’s Criminal Court Night Court session took off. Aromas of greasy $2 burgers and rich black coffee permeated the fluorescently lit Courtroom #130. Continuous flocks of jittery handcuffed individuals strolled in, lifting their droopy heads and gazing first at the metal “In God We Trust” plaque. The swift clicking of early IBM Model M keyboards lined around the judge’s raised desk, overpowering the dutiful chatter from attorneys, police officers and spectators.
Sitting behind a fully-armed court officer, two teenage girls curled towards each other on a wooden courtroom bench as their mother, handcuffed both hands and feet plus secured by three police officers, trotted down the aisle.
The court’s atmosphere buzzed with tension.
Meanwhile, an attorney swept his dainty eyeglasses like a fly swatter and said, “¿Señor? If you don’t do 30 days of community service, then you will go to jail for one year.”
Although not staged like “Law and Order,” Manhattan’s Criminal Court nighttime agenda (better known as “night court,”) hears and decides criminal cases, operating seven days a week, from 5PM to 1AM. All of who have been arrested in the last 24 hours have their charges reviewed and their bails set, without alleging them of being either guilty or innocent.The guidebook Lonely Planet may have started the tourist trend of visiting Manhattan’s night court to witness the American justice system in action. Its late sessions are the Happy Hour to numerous locals and tourists, although until 2003 cases were held at an even more weary-eyed shift of 1AM to 8AM.
Defendants stand one at a time before the judge, accompanied by their state-provided attorney. A prosecutor on the left, behind a podium reads off a description of the defendant and the highlighted charges, then suggests a bail amount. A defense attorney rebuts and argues for a lower bail. Immediately then the judge decides, sets bail and a court date.
At night court, observers who wish to leave before the end of a hearing should exit between cases in order to not distract the judge or attorneys. It is recommended to sit in the back of the courtroom and not be the one to cause a scene by shouting, “I can’t hear you,” as a man wearing a silk black hoodie did to a stubby-bearded court officer. Security measures are enforced before one may enter the dimly lit court. Visitors can be held in contempt for disrespectful demeanor or defying the court’s authority, even if not a part of judicial proceedings. Courtroom etiquette requires limiting conversations with friends. Cell phone use is prohibited; police officers ask spectators to power them off. Depending on the action, those in contempt could be given a fine or serve jail time.
Handing their clients a full-fare, yellow MetroCard at the end of the court session, the mildly sweaty, coffee-stained attorneys say, “Make sure you don’t get arrested anymore."
