New York Magazine this week has a section with comments by friends of Martha Stewart and Peter Bacanovic. One thing we learned was that Martha and Peter had their own rooms on the 4th floor of the courthouse, where they could visit with friends, have food brought in, etc. Christopher Mason, a loyal friend of Bacanovic's who expected to testify but was not called as a witness, had this to say:

For five weeks, Peter’s and Martha’s friends and family had been crowded into the front left row of the courtroom, which was reserved for guests of the defendants. ....Upstairs in adjoining private lunchrooms on the fourth floor, there was a notable class divide when it came to refreshments. The fare in Peter’s room extended only to chicken salad and cheesecake. In Martha’s room, there was a veritable emporium of goods supplied by Russ & Daughters, the famous Lower East Side deli that’s been featured on Martha’s TV show. Here we found brisket, corned beef, and pastrami sandwiches; coleslaw; and delicious green-tomato pickles. The domestic diva wandered from room to room, chatting with Peter’s distraught parents, inviting everybody to try the macaroons.

We wonder what kind of clout it takes and with whom to be able to get two rooms in a courthouse set aside for use of the defendants. We didn't have it for the Don King trial in the same NY courthouse--we all went up to the cafeteria, same as everyone else. During the McVeigh and Nichols' trials, we had attorney's lounge rooms set aside where we could also eat, but the defendants were in cells, not with us. We find it interesting to read about special arrangements made for some defendants. It clues us in on what to ask for the next time around.