The courtroom was crowded that morning. Lawyers whispered among themselves, people waited impatiently for their cases to be called, and the judge examined the papers on his desk.
Then the doors opened, and a 15-year-old boy was led into the room.
His clothes were worn, his shoes were damaged, and his eyes remained fixed on the floor. He looked frightened, as though he had already decided that nobody would believe him.
The charge against him seemed simple: theft.
He had taken a bundle of bread and a small piece of cheese from a local grocery store. When the security guard tried to stop him, the boy struggled to escape. During the commotion, a shelf was knocked over and several items fell to the floor.
The store owner wanted him punished.
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