To the Editor:
Lisa Blue and Robert Hirschhorn’s March 11 column "Jurors in Long Trials Deserve a Four-Day Workweek" reminded me of a case I tried a number of years ago in Judge Don Wittig’s court in Harris County. The trial lasted five weeks and had been projected to be even longer. Judge Wittig set a Tuesday-Friday four-day schedule with an added twist: on Friday, court began at 8 a.m. and adjourned at 1 p.m., with only one brief morning break, a schedule which yielded almost as much actual trial time as the traditional day of 9 to 5 with two short breaks and a lunch break. The jurors and lawyers all liked the idea, and it gave the Court more time to set aside for other matters. I have often wondered why more judges don’t utilize this schedule for long jury trials.
