On 25 April 2025, supporters queued outside Manhattan federal court for scarce public seats as Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty. At a state-court hearing that February, more than one hundred people had begun lining up at dawn, while only about twenty supporters obtained seats inside. Whistleblower Chelsea Manning was among those seen in the line.
The waiting arose where the principle of open justice met the limited capacity of a courtroom. Motives varied: support for the defendant, criticism of the healthcare system and the wish to exercise a right to observe a public proceeding. First arrival determined who could personally witness a case already commanding attention far beyond the court.