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We represented a family who tried to ruin a teenage boy's life. They fabricated police reports, falsely claimed he stole expensive electronics from them, and took their claims to the very uninterested school the boy attended. When cops tried to investigate, the family evaded the investigator and lied to him.
Why do all this? The family's son was crushing on a girl they were hosting in their home. She chose to date the boy in question over the son. All three kids were classmates.
The boy got a hefty settlement from the family. This case was outside our typical areas of practice, but they came from a friend of the attorney.
#3
The employee didn’t show up to work because he passed away
Courtrooms are expected to be formal, orderly places where evidence is examined and disputes are resolved, but The Conversation points out that they are still run by people who can become stressed, overwhelmed, and distracted. Under pressure, even experienced professionals can make embarrassing mistakes, while witnesses and defendants may behave in ways nobody anticipates.
Lawyers might accidentally address a judge by the wrong title, confuse client names, or discover that an important document is missing just as they need it. Witnesses can also complicate proceedings by contradicting earlier statements, volunteering unexpected information, or offering explanations that leave everyone struggling to make sense of what they have heard.
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One of my tasks as the judge's law clerk was to keep all the evidence that was admitted in my office until the trial was over. This included all of the victim's blood soaked clothes and the bullet fragments the medical examiner pulled out of his head during the autopsy. Knowing I wanted to be a prosecutor, that was my fork in the road for deciding whether or not I had what it took to deal with that kind of brutality. I'm glad I chose to continue down the path because I love my job, but this case will always have a front row spot in my mind.
Defendant was convicted and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
These unusual moments are not always the result of deliberate misconduct. Court proceedings can involve intimidating surroundings, complicated legal language, strict rules, and high stakes for everyone involved. Some people appear in court without legal representation, while others may be frightened or unfamiliar with the process.
Judges and lawyers can also face demanding schedules and have to move between numerous cases in a single day. When these pressures combine with human error and unpredictable behaviour, proceedings can take surprising turns. Sometimes the most memorable part of a case is not a dramatic legal argument, but the unexpected decision or revelation that changes how everyone understands the situation.
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He was sued several years later for water intrusion defects related to buildings 7-9
(Which he didn’t work on). Felt terrible for the guy.
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This was a good while back when I began as a public defender.
TL;DR: Client was guilty. Twice.
Now, as a public defender you don't so much get asked to take cases so much as assigned, but I'm gonna count this one so I have a chance to tell the story.
So when you get assigned to a case, you get a file that generally consists of the police report and any witness statements that may have been taken by the police and/or DA. Because the State has a duty to disclose evidence to the accused'S counsel (in the states,anyway) if they know of the existence of video surveillance, generally the DA would stamp in the report "KS/WP" (Known surveillance/will provide).
I get a routine destruction of property case where my client is accused of destroying a computer monitor. The officers account of the case was simply "Surveillance reviewed. Client taken into custody," stamped with the red KS/WP. Client called and sounded much more reasonable then she would turn out to be. She calmly explained it was a wrong place wrong time issue where she was passing through and tripped to hit the computer at a receptionist desk. So we schedule an initial meeting for Friday.
Friday comes around and about ten minutes prior to the clients arrival, a runner from the DA's office deliver the CD with the video. Being a bit busy at the time, I figured I'd watch it with the client when she arrived. She arrives and again, seems just fine. I mention that we have the surveillance and could go ahead and review it, and she pleasantly agrees. Her and her reasonably well-dressed husband come in, joke a bit about how awkward this all is, and sit down across from me. I turn the monitor around so we can watch what happened.
In the five minutes of surveillance provided, The first four minutes were a mundane scene of a receptionist answering phones with a pair of double doors behind her. I fast forward. Then, cue the music. I watched my client kick open a pair of double doors, screaming at whatever was on the other side. She leaves. The comes back in, screaming again and re-enters the double doors. Then I see security guards gently escorting her out, as she is screaming at them. Security stops at the double doors. My client goes over to the reception desk, and leans over the counter to...you guessed it...grab the computer monitor, take it over her head, and bring it smashing to the ground. She gives a finger to security and leaves.
We watch the next thirty seconds in stunned silence, and the tape goes black. Now, I knew enough to watch my clients reaction during this, and she was a goddamned statue. Didn't move. Stared at the screen with the smile of someone who has k****d before. Probably.
The she turned to me and said "So, what are you gonna do about this?" I didn't know what to say, just kind of stared at her. "Well, uh, probably work on a plea deal. Hopefully you pay them and get a couple of hour--"
"I didn't do it"
"Well, yes you did. I just watched it."
She stands up and without breaking eye contact, grabs my computer monitor, lifts it up, and smashes it on the ground. She picks up her purse and walks out. Her husband follows, but turns to me in my doorway and gives me the finger, shaking his head in a "for shame" kind of way.
I did not take the case.
Beyond the unusual behaviour that can unfold in court, the legal profession offers plenty of opportunities to make a meaningful difference. Clio, an intelligent legal work platform, explains that lawyers often find fulfillment in helping people navigate some of the most difficult periods of their lives. Clients may approach them feeling overwhelmed by family disputes, business conflicts, immigration problems, or serious accusations.
By explaining their options, developing legal arguments, negotiating agreements, and working toward fair outcomes, lawyers can help people regain a sense of control. The intellectual challenge of solving complicated problems can be rewarding in itself, while successfully resolving a dispute or protecting someone's rights provides a tangible result.
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It was really weird sitting in a room with this guy, knowing what he was convicted of, and knowing that he'd been denying the conviction for almost 20 years.
Needless to say, his request to be released early was denied.
Edit: People have been asking questions about the sentence he got. He got life in prison, which makes you eligible for early release after ten years (first offence) or 14 years (recidive) in Belgium.
That sense of purpose can extend beyond individual clients to wider questions of fairness and accountability. Lawyers may help protect vulnerable people, challenge unjust decisions, defend fundamental rights, or uncover mistakes that have affected the outcome of a case.
However, the profession also requires them to navigate demanding workloads, adversarial relationships, and emotionally complicated situations. Some cases become especially difficult when the harm involved is severe or when the people handling them must confront uncomfortable questions about responsibility and justice. The same work that gives lawyers a sense of achievement can therefore expose them to some deeply troubling aspects of human behavior.
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What did he do? Well, he and his wife were going through a nasty divorce and he had moved out and started living with a friend. One weekend, he knew his wife and kids were away, so he got hammered and decided to go f**k up the house. This dude totally trashed it. But the worst part, he took his kids new kitten and placed it in the microwave & turned it on. He left it there for them to find.
F*****g disgusting psycho.
The British Psychological Society offers a way to understand why certain cases can be so disturbing by examining the psychological and social factors that allow people to harm others. Cruelty does not always arise from an individual's actions alone; it can also be enabled by prejudice, obedience to authority, group pressure, and institutions that fail to intervene.
Dehumanization, for example, occurs when people are treated as objects or enemies rather than individuals deserving of dignity and compassion. Exploitation can also become easier when victims are isolated, financially dependent, young, or otherwise vulnerable. In legal disputes, these dynamics may help explain not only how harm occurred, but also why those responsible were able to continue their behaviour.
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The consequences can extend beyond the original wrongdoing when prejudice or institutional failures interfere with the pursuit of justice. Biased decision-making, corruption, inadequate procedures, or public indifference can prevent victims from receiving fair treatment and allow harmful behavior to go unchallenged.
For lawyers, investigating such cases may mean confronting several layers of wrongdoing, from the actions of individuals to the systems that enabled them. This can make a case particularly difficult to resolve, especially when the available evidence does not immediately reveal the full picture or when the outcome has serious consequences for everyone involved.
Even after a legal dispute ends, questions about whether justice was properly served may remain.
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He covered a case where 3 guys were sitting around a camp fire in the suburbs. 2 got into an argument and it got heated. 1 ended up k*****g the other, cut off his head and propped the head on top of a tree trunk and continued taunting the head. It was a papaya tree (don’t know why I remember that part of the story most clearly). The 3rd guy watched the whole thing and did nothing.