Comments on: Scalping SCOTUS Tickets?

By: DoorFrame

DoorFrame — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:04:32 +0000

The Supreme doesn’t allow video recording of the sessions, they only allow audio recording. We could put it on an obscure radio station…

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:12:32 +0000

Why don’t they just put it on an obscure cable station like the empty congressional meetings they show ad-nauseum. It’s not like we have enough rights left to bother going through the motions.

By: cody.wms

cody.wms — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:32:17 +0000

For the cases that involve staying overnight the rate may be as high as $500 to have someone hold your spot. Most of the messenger services in the area offer line-holding services.

I know they let around 75 (from the public line) in for Heller. The lowest number that I know of was 40 for Bush v. Gore.

Lorelei, its worth going by the see the building, it is very nice.

By: DoorFrame

DoorFrame — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:10:23 +0000

Well, they did say they usually let in about 50 people, and they only handed out 75 numbers. If you didn’t have a number, you knew (if you asked the staff) that you weren’t going to get in to see the first argument.

I don’t necessarily mind the standing in the cold thing, and I recognize that they don’t know exactly how many seats they’re going to have available so there’s some degree of uncertainty, but they certainly should tell people (or just put up a sign telling people) that if you’re not in the first 100 people and you don’t have a number, you’re not going to get in so don’t bother waiting around.

On the up side, I had a great time and it was worth getting there at 6:45.

Big Cow, what time did you get there?

By: Big COw

Big COw — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:57:26 +0000

I was there in line today as well, and was offered $25 for my place in line, which at the time was unlikely to result in a seat in the courtroom (we did get in for the last half of the last argument). I can’t figure out why they can’t figure out some kind online ticketing thing or some kind of notification scheme for this. It’s one thing to stand outside for hours in the cold waiting to see the oral arguments, but it’s another to stand in that line for just a CHANCE to get in. It is unconscionable for the SCOTUS staff to continue to allow people to stand in line for hours when they know the parts of the line that have NO CHANCE of getting in. I lost some real respect today for the court by how they treated the people who wanted to see the justices so badly.

By: Lorelei

Lorelei — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:14:06 +0000

Not the justices — the parties and their lawyers. Bob Barker/Drew Carey is the justice! Or maybe he’s the chief justice and the eye candy girls are associate justices? Ow, my patriotism.

By: Troeltsch

Troeltsch — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:10:11 +0000

This whole procedure reminds me of the time jbg and I went to the price is right. Except that if this were the price is right a producer would have interviewed everyone in line and picked the nine most animated to be the justices. Which would make for a rather odd legal system.

By: DoorFrame

DoorFrame — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:05:49 +0000

I would have considered $200… at $250 I think I tip into the ‘yes’ category. I definitely would have done it for $500.

The building’s pretty nice. I’m sure the tour’s quick if they’re not in session.

I definitely thought it was worth sitting through the two arguments. During the first one I was one of the last ones in and seated, so my seat was sort of behind a curtain and I could only see the leftmost 4.5 justices (5.5 with a big lean). When everyone left at the end of the first argument, I was able to move forward and sit in the real chamber. The problem is that you’re exhausted from getting up super early and standing around outside in the cold for hours, so it’s hard to stay focused, but I’m definitely glad I went.

By: Lorelei

Lorelei — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:47:19 +0000

Well, did you get in?

I will be visiting DC in late September, which I believe is at the end of the court’s lenthy summer break. Alas. (Gotta give Scalia some time off to improperly go hunting with Dick Cheney.) Do you think it’s worth it to just visit the building?

By: Troeltsch

Troeltsch — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:37:09 +0000

In essence lobbyists already do this inversely, by hiring the homeless, etc. to stand in line for them. You’re not reselling anything, which I think is the point of scalping. You’re selling your services.

Rather than ask how much you could have gotten, I ask how much would you have taken? Would $200 be enough for 3 hours in the cold? $500?