The judges hold themselves out as superior in knowledge and assert that the premise of the system is "justice." It's their baby, bad lawering notwithstanding. At some point, especially when life is in the balance, substance is supposed to triumph over form. Just because the mothpiece is an ass is no reason to kill the client.
I'll wait and see how the PR battle plays out. I predict there will be some judicial casualties, but the system will go on, flawed, and sanctity of life will be poo-poo'ed as an historic anacronism.
You can't blame the judges without laying some blame on the lawyers. I'm blaming both (and blaming the Schindler lawyers a bit more for being clueless what to do in Federal Court, even after Congress told them what to do).
The Schindlers taking advice from Randall Terry didn't help their cause in the court of public opinion, either.