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Renate Meinhof, Brandenburg an der Havel
When court cases take a long time, longer than expected, habits creep in. Over the past nine months, Josef S. has made it a habit to greet those present in the room before the presiding judge Udo Lechtermann has had his first word. “Good morning everyone,” said the defendant on Tuesday, the day of the verdict, looking around at the audience as if he were looking for a specific face, only then did he put on the headphones. Josef S. is hard of hearing. In recent weeks, towards the verdict, he often combined his greeting with a silent hand-wringing gesture, like a man begging for mercy.