What event did the presence of police dogs in the courtroom most likely remind Mrs. Williams of?

The presence of police dogs in the courtroom most likely reminded Mrs. Williams of the Civil Rights Movement because during that era, particularly in the 1960s, police dogs were infamously used against African American protesters and marchers. Images of aggressive dogs being unleashed on peaceful demonstrators are etched in the collective memory of the movement and symbolize the brutality and oppression faced by those fighting for civil rights. This association highlights the systemic racial injustice that pervaded society at that time, which is a central theme in "Just Mercy." The use of such intimidation tactics, including police dogs, serves to illustrate the broader context of racial violence and the struggle for justice that characters in the book, like Walter McMillian and others, confront.