5. You know you’ve been in the courtroom too many times when you begin to recognize other defendants besides the one you are there for.

3b. Tattoos, amirite. Just why to some of the ones I saw today.

15. The court system has arrived at the conclusion that telling the whole mess of defendants to show up at the same time works just fine, regardless of whether it means people have to sit on extremely uncomfortable benches for 5 1/2 hours.

6. HOW HOW HOW HOW do the staff, attorneys and judge work in that environment every day and not go home completely cynical about the chances of people who are addicted to drugs?

18. The humanity of a prosecuting attorney who looks through the diet cokes in the cooler in the deli to find one that has the name of his daughter on it.

G. Kinda tough to find icebreakers with strangers beyond “How are ya?” Some I caught and released: “First time here?” “So what’s positive in your life right now?”

And. It never gets any easier to watch my child being put into handcuffs. All I can do is trust the process and believe that there is going to ultimately be a good outcome.