This is a perfect illustration of a problem I have tried to point out for years:
Pandemonium erupted inside Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday after panicked spectators said they spotted bedbugs crawling up the neck of a man who was there to answer to a desk-appearance ticket.
The sickening sight sent court observers scrambling out of their seats, a witness told the Daily News.
“People started bolting,” added the witness, a 49-year-old Manhattan woman. “Even the court officers were freaked out. It was disgusting.”
Courts spokesman David Bookstaver confirmed the insect-fueled ruckus, but said “no evidence of the alleged bugs was uncovered.”
The icky incident happened about 11:30 a.m. A court officer assigned to one of the courtrooms designated for arraignments saw a commotion in the back and asked what was going on, the witness said.
A woman stood up and announced that a man sitting near her was covered with the creepy crawlies, sparking chaos in the benches.
Several observers raced out of the courtroom. The apparent offender also sprinted away from the scene, the witness said.
The court officers emptied the three final rows, and the proceedings continued, the witness said.
After about 20 minutes, an exterminator arrived and the courtroom was evacuated.
When the room was reopened, yellow police tape was cordoning off the three final rows.
“People were scratching themselves,” the witness said. “Everyone in the courtroom was uncomfortable.”