Night Court

Looking for some real-life theater? Every night, from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., night court is in session at 100 Center Street near Chinatown. Open to the public, the court is always filled with sad and strange cases—and defendants who run the gamut from turn-style jumpers to murderers. Once they have been arrested, the city has 24 hours to arraign them or set or deny bail, which is what happens at night court. On the night I went to do research for The Twilight Prisoner, I watched the case I later included in the book—three men accused of stealing 213 pairs of sneakers.