The big thing missing from that assessment is case variability. The clear-cut case with a plea bargain already assessed is short, but also predictable. If you

The big thing missing from that assessment is case variability. The clear-cut case with a plea bargain already assessed is short, but also predictable. If you schedule it at 11:50 AM, you'll still go to lunch at 12:00. The case that's going to take 16 different motions with unclear evidence isn't just long, it's unpredictable. Even if such cases take an average of one hour, you don't want to put them at 11:00 AM. Shorter tasks are also easier to reschedule. Pushing three short cases from before lunch to after is much lower-impact than interrupting one big case midway through. So I don't think your assessment is wrong, but there're other factors deciding this.