In three decades as a daily newspaper columnist, I stopped counting the hours I sat in Las Vegas courtrooms watching defendants grind their way through the local justice system.
I was usually waiting, often impatiently, for a specific case that I’d planned as grist for the next column. Over time, however, I learned to appreciate the rhythm of the daily docket, when defendants in their jailhouse garb are present to learn the latest development in their case.
Trial dates are set, motions are made and early discovery information is exchanged in a time-tested process that’s occasionally interrupted by outbursts from attorneys, judges and the defendants themselves. A majority of cases never reach trial, but are hashed out between busy prosecutors and buried public defenders…