The local economics of the Diddy trial
The federal criminal trial of Sean Combs, aka Diddy, has been attracting a slew of onlookers for the past weeks — and it turns out it’s a major tourist destination too. Not only are the news networks camped out 24/7, but so are the stand-in-line guys, who have their tents pitched on Worth between Centre and Park Row, the backside of 500 Pearl, the US District Courthouse named for Daniel Moynihan.
Turns out they have been getting $150 to $200 per seat, one of them told my pal as we walked back from Chinatown. And tourists have been clamoring for them as a “New York City experience.”
There was also representation from the Same Ole Line Dudes, a company founded just for the purpose of holdings spots on city lines for folks flush enough to appreciate the service. (Nice headline from this New Yorker feature: The Same Ole Line Dudes Are Waiting For You.)
The jury is now deliberating on the charges: five counts — one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, Combs could face life in prison.
