Dominique Strauss-Kahn was escorted early Thursday from jail to a New York courthouse for his second bid for bail, according to people familiar with the matter, DPA reported.
The French economist who has stepped down as head of the International Monetary Fund is charged with sexual assault and attempted rape of a New York hotel maid.
Reporters began gathering at the lower Manhattan courthouse hours before the scheduled 1815 GMT bail hearing, according to Bloomberg news agency.
David Bookstaver, a spokesman for the New York state court system, was quoted as saying it was the biggest media crowd in more than 30 year.
The previous such media interest was for the man who was later convicted of shooting Beatle John Lennon, he said.