I Don't Mind Fridays

Not a bad day today. A nice little trial listed for 10 a.m. got off to a slow start because the defendants were a bit late, but we were soon under way. They had been refused Legal Aid, so everything had to be explained s-l-o-w-ly but the case was straightforward and we got to verdict and sentence before the lunch break. I had lunch with a delightful colleague whom I see all too infrequently, so the gossip flowed freely, then back to help out the other courts. A nice gentle afternoon started with the CPS throwing their hand in on a case where they had lost just about all of the paperwork (no evidence offered, case dismissed, costs to defendant from central funds) then we sentenced a couple of reports cases, and adjourned another, the defendant having failed to turn up for interview. He left court having had a serious warning that we would use our power to remand him in custody if anything went wrong with the next appointment. Then a cup of tea, a chat with the clerk, and off home via the pub.
Like I said, not bad.