"The Hall of Judgment"

 "Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover." (John 18:28 KJV)

  "What sorrows await you who say, "If only the day of the LORD were here!" You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light. In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion - only to meet a bear. Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house - and he's bitten by a snake. Yes, the day of the LORD will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope." (Amos 5:18-20 NLT)

 If you are looking for some sort of reason for them to worry about being defiled, it would probably be the signs of Roman statues or banners that displayed the image of Cesear. However, I seriously doubt that is the case! No, this is about having their hands in the pot, so to speak; turning Jesus over to the Roman's, letting them have Him put to death, that the people would not put the blame on them!

 Not sure if that resonates any sort of imagines in your mind, because their plot or scheme, will not hide the fact that this was their doing. Besides that, God knew the truth, Jesus absolutely knew what they were doing, and even the disciples would soon figure it out! Other than that, they had already convinced themselves that God was not going to judge them, so why take a chance that the secular court might hold their feet to the fire! 

 Supposably, this was one of the palaces that Herod had built, which the Roman governor used for his residence, as well as the Hall of Justice. That is the reason Pilate was so easily summoned, at whatever time in the morning, this might have been. Matthew Henry points out that it was early, because they were trying to get the sentencing over before people might show up and try to come to Jesus' defense.   

 As it was, they had their own people there, to make a case against Christ! A Case for Christ! I think I own that movie; maybe I should watch it again! That is the total opposite of what we are witnessing here, because the people in charge of putting Jesus to death, they are tearing down all of the evidence: all the prophecies that they should have known, all the miracles that they should have admired; each and every sign of Deity, they ignored, making their hearts harder and harder to the truth before them! 

 So, yes, this was there moment to pass the buck; making it a little bit easier to partake in the Passover! Do you see the point of the prophecy of Amos? There is no way that they will out-run or hide from justice! The Hall of Judgment will be their own house...

"And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he will answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." (Zechariah 13:6 KJV)