Quoted: Oral arguments are pretty much a formality. Usually, the decision has already been made on how they'll vote. You don't really think they come to their conclusions based on 30 minutes of oral arguments by each side do you?

"I've seen attorneys lose a winning case through a bad oral argument, but never win a losing case through a really good one" -some appellate judge said that to me. That was just about the last time I bothered making an oral argument on appeal.

I had a judge fall asleep during a jury trial once. It actually worked out okay, the attorneys all kind of looked at each other and I think we figured we were better off without him and we all just made sure not to ask any questions of the witness that anyone else would object to.

I caught a judge reading Car and Driver during a bench (no jury) trial a couple of monthes ago.