Pre-pandemic trips to Connecticut courts were sometimes met with an interesting phenomenon. In any case involving a significant element of animal cruelty, protesters could often be found outside the courthouse, demanding a harsh outcome for the accused. There were sometimes protests or displays related to other types of cases, but injury to an animal was almost certain to elicit a public outcry. The public response inevitably made those matters seem more important than all other matters being heard that day, where those other matters may have involved death or serious injury to person.