I have a respect for lawyers. I assume that some cases are so disturbing that, although they choose to spend their life dealing with legal disputes, they have to take a moment to process what they’re hearing. Behind courtroom doors and piles of paperwork, lawyers can stumble across shocking confessions, unbelievable evidence, and situations that are very twisted.
Recently, lawyers online were asked to share the most messed-up cases they had ever fought or witnessed, and the stories that emerged were anything but ordinary. From deeply unsettling revelations to cases with twists nobody could have predicted, these accounts offer a glimpse into some of the darkest and weirdest experiences people in the legal profession have encountered.
#21
I’m a medic, not a lawyer, but have had to testify a few times. One time a guy did something stupid enough it ended up on national news for a minute. He was offered a plea deal that would have kept him out of jail and wasn’t bad at all. He plead not guilty. What he did was on video. Like dude it was on Comedy Central. I think you did it.
3points
Canadian Lawyer Magazine explores another reason certain cases can stay with legal professionals long after the final decision: the emotional toll of dealing with other people's suffering. Lawyers may regularly hear accounts of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, catastrophic injuries, or wrongful loss, while also examining distressing photographs, medical records, and testimony.
Repeated exposure to these experiences can contribute to vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress, which involves trauma-related reactions arising from engaging with another person's suffering. The burden may become heavier when a lawyer feels responsible for a client's future and the outcome falls short of what they hoped to achieve.
An innocent person being convicted, a vulnerable client remaining in danger, or a victim receiving inadequate compensation can leave a lawyer struggling with guilt, grief, or a sense of failure.
#22
Older husband and young wife were found guilty of m****r. Young wife cheated on husband and had a baby girl. Husband decided to keep the baby and took out a $25k or $50k insurance policy on the baby. They end up taking a several day road trip where they starved the baby to d***h. Husband took it to trial. All I can think about is the doctor testifying that the baby would have cried because she was hungry for so long before it became too exhausted to cry any longer. I’ve been doing criminal law for years and this is the only one that I still think about. Maybe because the wife and I have been trying to have a baby. Evil exists.
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3points
#23
I'm a prosecutor and in this position I have seen my fair share of heinous, terrible s**t that people do to others. That being said, the first m****r case I was a part of (during my judicial clerkship) still hits me the hardest. The victim's brother had previously shot a close friend of the defendant. Didn't k**l the guy, but it apparently called for retaliation in the form of k*****g the victim. Scene: family barbecue in the backyard. Defendant waits behind the neighbor's garage until victim pulls up into the parking spot out back, walks up from behind and shoots victim point blank in the back of the head with a.357. E*******n style. Why this is seared into my memory forever: Victim hadn't heard Defendant come up behind him because he was greeting his two young kids. Both were within 3-5 feet of him. Daughter had run up because victim had picked up some candy for her from the gas station, and the little boy was sitting on a big wheel. All of this was captured on 1080 HD surveillance video and was center frame.
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.
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.
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3points
#24
I was a court judicial aid for a few years after college (the person that sits next to the judge)
The hearing was for a mom trying to get custody back of her daughter. She was taken because mom was a j****e and they found the daughter in a trap house and the mom was passed out.
Daughter was placed with grand parents who were really well off and really loved their grand daughter and it was the best place for her.
However mom had gotten a job and tried getting her back. Mom is legit nodding on the court room but since she had held a job for 30 days straight the court ruled that she was now fit to parent and was given back to mom.
The hearing was for a mom trying to get custody back of her daughter. She was taken because mom was a j****e and they found the daughter in a trap house and the mom was passed out.
Daughter was placed with grand parents who were really well off and really loved their grand daughter and it was the best place for her.
However mom had gotten a job and tried getting her back. Mom is legit nodding on the court room but since she had held a job for 30 days straight the court ruled that she was now fit to parent and was given back to mom.
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3points
Some cases also create what is known as moral injury, a form of distress that can arise when someone witnesses or is unable to prevent events that conflict with their deepest moral beliefs. Certain details may remain vivid for years, and the conclusion of a case does not necessarily provide emotional closure. Yet lasting memories are not always painful.
Lawyers may also remember the cases in which they helped someone escape abuse, prevented a wrongful conviction, or secured compensation that made a meaningful difference to a client's life. These experiences reflect the complicated nature of legal work: the profession can expose people to disturbing behaviour and heartbreaking outcomes, but it can also give them the opportunity to protect others and make a difference when it matters most.
#25
Not a lawyer, but I did intern intern for a criminal defense attorney, the worst case I saw was this guy who was being charged with 4 separate felony charges and about 13 misdemeanors because he was hanging out with a guy who had broken into cars and stolen credit cards and was using them. He literally didn’t do anything wrong himself but they but they had the evidence to convict him of the felonies at least.
3points
#26
Emotionally hardest was probably one case where someone tried to steal a car and shot the people inside. Didn't manage to k**l anyone, but one of the victims barely could walk when she got into court as she got shot in the leg.
Worst part: the guy I was defending was 15 years old. And the other ones that did it with him where 13 and 12 years old. That's hard to see.
Worst part: the guy I was defending was 15 years old. And the other ones that did it with him where 13 and 12 years old. That's hard to see.
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3points
#27
Before I became an attorney, actually.
I'm from a pretty small town. Through a connection of my parents, I was able to "shadow" the District Attorney for a summer during college. I expected to be going to an awful lot of DUI, statutory rape, and burglary trials, since that's most of what showed up on the police blotter. The night before I was to start, I went to bed very early. What can I say, I was excited. My parents were off on vacation and I was just home with my big brother.
After I had been asleep for a short time, my brother came into my room. "The phone is for you. It's the police."
"Hi Whovi, it's [the District Attorney]. I know you're not starting with us until tomorrow, but how would you like to get started tonight? Wear jeans and boots, if you have them."
I didn't even really say anything to my brother, I just got changed quickly and went to the police station.
Turns out, a woman in town had set her home on fire with her two children inside, k*****g both of them. I was up all night with the DA during the initial investigation. He took me to the home, I had to climb up a ladder and onto the roof to get into the girl's bedroom. They shared a room, but had separate beds. I was told by the police that, when they found them, both were in the same bed. Meaning they were awake when the house was on fire and crawled into bed together, terrified.
The neighbor was a police officer. He saw that the house was on fire, ran over to try and help, and was told by the mother that the kids were still inside. He couldn't get in to save them and was just devastated.
The rest of the day is a blur. And exhausting and traumatizing blur. I went to the autopsies. I got dizzy and had to leave the room.
Honestly, the case was so devastating that I tried to wipe it out and didn't follow it much once I went back to college. A quick search tells me that the mom plead out to avoid the death penalty, which I knew the DA was going to fight for. She'll be in prison for the rest of her life.
TL;DR: Woman set her house on fire to k**l her two small children.
I'm from a pretty small town. Through a connection of my parents, I was able to "shadow" the District Attorney for a summer during college. I expected to be going to an awful lot of DUI, statutory rape, and burglary trials, since that's most of what showed up on the police blotter. The night before I was to start, I went to bed very early. What can I say, I was excited. My parents were off on vacation and I was just home with my big brother.
After I had been asleep for a short time, my brother came into my room. "The phone is for you. It's the police."
"Hi Whovi, it's [the District Attorney]. I know you're not starting with us until tomorrow, but how would you like to get started tonight? Wear jeans and boots, if you have them."
I didn't even really say anything to my brother, I just got changed quickly and went to the police station.
Turns out, a woman in town had set her home on fire with her two children inside, k*****g both of them. I was up all night with the DA during the initial investigation. He took me to the home, I had to climb up a ladder and onto the roof to get into the girl's bedroom. They shared a room, but had separate beds. I was told by the police that, when they found them, both were in the same bed. Meaning they were awake when the house was on fire and crawled into bed together, terrified.
The neighbor was a police officer. He saw that the house was on fire, ran over to try and help, and was told by the mother that the kids were still inside. He couldn't get in to save them and was just devastated.
The rest of the day is a blur. And exhausting and traumatizing blur. I went to the autopsies. I got dizzy and had to leave the room.
Honestly, the case was so devastating that I tried to wipe it out and didn't follow it much once I went back to college. A quick search tells me that the mom plead out to avoid the death penalty, which I knew the DA was going to fight for. She'll be in prison for the rest of her life.
TL;DR: Woman set her house on fire to k**l her two small children.
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3points
Behind every legal case is a situation that brought people into a courtroom, and sometimes the details are far more disturbing, creepy, or heartbreaking than anyone could have anticipated. While lawyers spend years learning how to navigate the law, no amount of preparation can make every shocking revelation or unexpected turn easier to process.
Some cases test their patience, others challenge their sense of justice, and a few leave a lasting impression long after the paperwork has been put away. The stories shared by lawyers offer a glimpse into the unpredictable side of the profession, where human behaviour can be stranger than fiction and the truth is not always easy to uncover. Which of these cases shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments!
#28
Filing charges against a John Doe because client was arrested for a crime he did not commit and spent a year and $40,000 defending himself in a prior criminal case. Man ended up proving, in court that the man he was filing against stole his identity to commit crimes. Man also brought the investigator of the original case as a witness, solely to force him to lie on the stand. Nothing happened to the investigator other than him embarrassing himself. Man won and sued for 3x the damages.
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2points
#29
Not a lawyer but I was reporting a crime to the police and the detective in charge told me his station had just solved a huge d**g bust...the d**g dealer was speeding in his van (with millions of dollars worth of d***s inside), when he lost control of his vehicle coming around a corner and crashed into a bunch of police cars parked outside the front of the station.
Needless to say, the police were very happy and labeled it the ‘easiest d**g bust ever’.
Needless to say, the police were very happy and labeled it the ‘easiest d**g bust ever’.
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2points
#30
Not me but a good friend is an attorney. He used to practice criminal law but one case made him move to estate law. It was a drunk driving hit and run. The driver didn't k**l the person he hit but threw him into the roadway where another car ran over him k*****g him. In the evidence photos was one with clear tire marks over the victim's chest. He said it was too much to deal with defending that and he changed legal specialties because of it.
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2points
#31
Not truly f****d up but interesting nonetheless.
A few years back, protesters began systematically blocking access to the Burnaby (near Vancouver, BC) oil refinery in an attempt to block construction on the new pipeline that was coming in. At first, people did it and kinda ran away, but an injunction was received and people started violating the injunction as a point of pride, getting arrested and so on. In almost every case, there were people present and press present so it served as a form of "criminal contempt of court" instead of a civil contempt of court. The difference works itself out below.
Now the way public injunction breaches of this nature work is that the first few people tend to get slaps on the wrist despite their breaches being criminal contempt. The first few people got $500-1000 fines (this would be in line with a civil violation which cannot result in jail time). However, the way the court sees it, if you continue to breach the injunction, despite knowing (or you should know) for weeks or months that it is in place, you will receive stiffer penalties.
The early people could have gotten jail time, but essentially no one did. However, as time went on, people still blocked, got arrested, and sentenced. Once a few weeks/months past, it got a bit crazy because almost every single person had no criminal record, the violation was simply too far in time.
So if you sat in the court room, you would unironically start seeing little old ladies who were first time offenders being sentenced to a week in jail. Most of them obviously didn't anticipate this so they were gobsmacked, but it was like, yeah its rough but maybe don't publicly violate court orders?
I applaud them for the courage of their convictions, but you won't catch me in jail any time soon.
A few years back, protesters began systematically blocking access to the Burnaby (near Vancouver, BC) oil refinery in an attempt to block construction on the new pipeline that was coming in. At first, people did it and kinda ran away, but an injunction was received and people started violating the injunction as a point of pride, getting arrested and so on. In almost every case, there were people present and press present so it served as a form of "criminal contempt of court" instead of a civil contempt of court. The difference works itself out below.
Now the way public injunction breaches of this nature work is that the first few people tend to get slaps on the wrist despite their breaches being criminal contempt. The first few people got $500-1000 fines (this would be in line with a civil violation which cannot result in jail time). However, the way the court sees it, if you continue to breach the injunction, despite knowing (or you should know) for weeks or months that it is in place, you will receive stiffer penalties.
The early people could have gotten jail time, but essentially no one did. However, as time went on, people still blocked, got arrested, and sentenced. Once a few weeks/months past, it got a bit crazy because almost every single person had no criminal record, the violation was simply too far in time.
So if you sat in the court room, you would unironically start seeing little old ladies who were first time offenders being sentenced to a week in jail. Most of them obviously didn't anticipate this so they were gobsmacked, but it was like, yeah its rough but maybe don't publicly violate court orders?
I applaud them for the courage of their convictions, but you won't catch me in jail any time soon.
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2points
#32
Defended a dental school in malpractice case. Patient was college aged man who went to the school clinic to have his teeth cleaned. Needed extra work because his teeth were very nasty. Two days later he collapsed and was taken to hospital. Several days later doctors find an abscess in his brain. He ended up brain damaged, bed bound, basically a nightmare of a life. Family argued my clients had released the bacteria from his mouth into his brain. Theoretically possible, but they couldn’t prove the bacteria that injured him was identical to the bacteria that had been in his mouth. We settled the case. He lived 5 or 6 years and died before he was 30.
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2points
#33
I used to work for a car insurance company. Saw a case where a car slided in water and front crashed another car. The first car was occupied by a woman( driving) her husband and her toddler, and car two was the same except for the toddler. Only the drivers lived, and I was supposed to sue the car one drive.
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2points
#34
Obligatory not a lawyer but happened to one of my friends business, bartender was clearly stealing from the till. Any shortages on the till would come from her tips. She claims she doesn't get any tips cause they are a terrible bartender, said they were illegally deducting her wages and they won.
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2points
#35
He hit three people sued the the people the he hit and then sold all his stuff so the family’s were not getting anything out of it
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2points
#36
First case I ever tried went like this. A 48-year-old man had gone to a drinking-in-the-woods party with a bunch of teenagers. After some hearty drinking, he spots a 12-year-old passed out (because she had drunk a 750 of Bacardi). So he pees on her face. For a long while. How long? Well, before going to the party, he had had "a little" to drink. How much? Oh, just a few beers. How many? Oh, maybe....30. Such was his testimony. Which was delivered while he wore a muscle t-shirt with a skull on it and the text "Bonehead." You can't make this stuff up. He went to prison.
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2points
#37
Not a lawyer, but interned at a law firm. This case made me reconsider law school (an excellent choice).
I grew up in Kentucky, and went to college in a poor county. Married couple, 2 children, 5 and 2. 2 year old was found dead, touching an electric socket. Apparently, a case of deadly neglect... Until they found the ligature marks.
She had been tied by the feet and strangled. The parents then posed her touching the socket and left her to be found by the 5 year old.
As an intern, I had to review the testimony of the expert witness (coroner) and pull out some facts.... Which means I had to look at the pictures, crime scene and autopsy.
We were working for the defense.
I grew up in Kentucky, and went to college in a poor county. Married couple, 2 children, 5 and 2. 2 year old was found dead, touching an electric socket. Apparently, a case of deadly neglect... Until they found the ligature marks.
She had been tied by the feet and strangled. The parents then posed her touching the socket and left her to be found by the 5 year old.
As an intern, I had to review the testimony of the expert witness (coroner) and pull out some facts.... Which means I had to look at the pictures, crime scene and autopsy.
We were working for the defense.
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2points
#38
I worked as a paralegal/intern on a case where we were defending a man who was in prison for a domestic a*****t so violent that it was considered double attempted m****r. His girlfriend was pregnant and he attempted to terminate the pregnancy by beating the s**t out of her. The girlfriend and the fetus survived.
We had several love letters the girlfriend sent this client in jail. They were in another language, which I speak. I translated them for the attorney.
These letters were heart-wrenching. She was still so in love. She prayed every day that her a****r would get out of jail, and she already hoped to name the baby after its dad-the dad who hospitalized the mother in an attempt to k**l the kid-made me hate my job a little bit.
And that's why I don't do criminal law and work with domestic a***e victims on reduced fees!
We had several love letters the girlfriend sent this client in jail. They were in another language, which I speak. I translated them for the attorney.
These letters were heart-wrenching. She was still so in love. She prayed every day that her a****r would get out of jail, and she already hoped to name the baby after its dad-the dad who hospitalized the mother in an attempt to k**l the kid-made me hate my job a little bit.
And that's why I don't do criminal law and work with domestic a***e victims on reduced fees!
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2points
#39
Not a lawyer but I remember a guy was charged with Soliciting a undercover female vice cop he only had two dollars and a Popeyes three piece chicken in exchange for a s****l favor.
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1point
#40
I have a friend that does defense for the criminally insane. He had to interview a client one day and the client decided to pull his own eyeball out and eat it in front of him. Then I think a month or so later he found out the guy ate his other eye while in his cell...people are nuts.
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1point