Musk v. Altman Trial Attendees Bring $120 Cushions as 150-Person Courtroom Endures Weeks of Hard Benches
Updated
Updated · WIRED · May 13
Musk v. Altman Trial Attendees Bring $120 Cushions as 150-Person Courtroom Endures Weeks of Hard Benches
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · May 13
About 10 defense-side attendees in the Musk v. Altman trial — including Sam Altman and OpenAI counsel Che Chang — used seat cushions or pillows on Wednesday after nearly three weeks of testimony.
Hard wooden benches in Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers' courtroom have become a practical problem as the packed proceedings stretch for hours, with courtroom capacity near 150 people and bench seating for up to 90.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife used white throw pillows, while other attendees carried black cushions, including a Purple brand model priced at $120; even some reporters and the courtroom artist eventually brought their own padding.
A longtime technology lawyer told WIRED cushions are not customary in trials but not unheard of in a case running this many days, underscoring how unusually long and crowded the proceedings have become.
The trial's final witnesses testified Wednesday, and Judge Gonzalez Rogers is set to hear arguments on potential penalties next week.
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