Judge Stefan Underhill looked out at the people gathered in the pews of his Bridgeport courtroom. Dressed in suits, their hair curled and combed, some hushed toddlers while others whispered translations into the ears of elderly loved ones. These gatherings, Underhill thought, always look like a meeting of the United Nations — natives of Jamaica, China, Guatemala, Ireland, Colombia, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Chile, Spain, and Ecuador were summoned here, in common purpose. Outside, the morning air was frigid — Jan. 16. Eight days earlier, Renee Good, a mother of three, had been killed in...