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           Butisthatlikely?Notasingleinnocentdefendantinsomanycases?WhenIwasaboyIusedtolistencloselytomyfatherwhenhetoldusaboutcourtcasesathome,andthejudgesthatcametohisstudiotalkedaboutthecourt,inourcirclesnobodytalksaboutanythingelse;IhardlyevergotthechancetogotocourtmyselfbutalwaysmadeuseofitwhenIcould,I’velistenedtocountlesstrialsatimportantstagesintheirdevelopment,I’vefollowedthemcloselyasfarastheycouldbefollowed,andIhavetosaythatI’veneverseenasingleacquittal.""So.Notasingleacquittal,"saidK.,asiftalkingtohimselfandhishopes."ThatconfirmstheimpressionIalreadyhaveofthecourt.Sothere’snopointinitfromthissideeither.Theycouldreplacethewholecourtwithasinglehangman.""Youshouldn’tgeneralise,"saidthepainter,dissatisfied,"I’veonlybeentalkingaboutmyownexperience.""Wellthat’senough,"saidK.,"orhaveyouheardofanyacquittalsthathappenedearlier?""Theysaytherehavebeensomeacquittalsearlier,"thepainteranswered,"butit’sveryhardtobesureaboutit.Thecourtsdon’tmaketheirfinalconclusionspublic,noteventhejudgesareallowedtoknowaboutthem,sothatallweknowabouttheseearliercasesarejustlegends.Butmostofthemdidinvolveabsoluteacquittals,youcanbelievethat,buttheycan’tbeproved.