29 Hilariously Shocking Ways Lawyers Lost Their Case

‘She was apparently a serial identity fraudster…’
29 Hilariously Shocking Ways Lawyers Lost Their Case

A lawyer can’t build a good case without having all of the details. 

A Redditor shared a story about one lawyer’s client who didn't get that memo and left out a key piece of information during her trial. His public-defender buddy took on a case with a girl who was busted on drug charges, and she told him that she wasn’t in possession of anything when she was arrested. He later found out, in front of everyone in court, that the reason she didn’t have any drugs on her at the time was because she’d just sold them — to an undercover cop. 

No chance she would’ve won, but she probably should’ve led with that little detail.

Other Redditors have shared the hilarious ways they’ve lost cases, and there’s definitely no more conclusive (and permanent) mark of guilt than a tattoo.

FallenPrince13 5y ago Probably when I was set for trial on a DUI, the day of trial i get a call from the state attorney that it was never disclosed in evidence that the friend my client had been meeting the time of the arrest was a meth dealer and it was believed my client was in the middle of trying to buy meth. When I confronted him about it, he just looked at me and said I didnt think it was important, it wasnt alcohol (Florida DUIs are alcohol or any controlled substance). Thankfully, kept that out of trial
. 5y ago Client was injured when he slipped on ice in the common parking lot of his multi family house. Turns out he was the one responsible for clearing the lot. Thanks buddy. 392 ...
maverick_ze 5y ago A client lied upfront to me about the facts of the case, when questioned BY ME in court, she claimed not knowing any of the facts she herself brought up during preparations for the civil lawsuit... The witnesses stated the exact opposite of everything she told me... TLDR Don't lie to your legal representation...you're only sabotaging yourself and your chances in court... 299 ...
crunchyfunyons 5y ago Client said his ex owed him a lot of money and that she was trying to get out of paying him back by getting a protective order against him. Seemed reasonable so I took his case. At the hearing it came out that they were never a couple, that he was sending sex toys to her residence on a weekly basis and that she never asked for the thousands of dollars he gave her over the years (stripper). We lost, he got laughed out of court and he learned a valuable lesson: tell your lawyer the good
JimShore 8mo ago Age discrimination case. Client: Age was never a factor. Memorandum written by client: He's just too old to be effective any more. Client in deposition: Age was a factor, yes. Settlement followed. 162 ...
order65 5y ago When I was an intern at court I was watching a battery trial with another intern. The defendant was asked if he can remember how many people were present when he beat up the other guy. Не then points at my fellow intern and says rather loudly: She was there but she didn't see anything! Don't trust her!. Of course she wasn't there and the defendant was found guilty. 2.1K ...
stichd 8mo ago I was at court once fighting a traffic ticket and a guys lawyer was pleading no contest to a charge he got for having a fire arm on probation. It sounded like he was getting more probation and it would be done with that, then the judge says do you have anything to say before we move forward and the guy says I didn't know having a gun was against the rules. And I had a gun so I guess that makes me GUILTY. Smiled like he just stuck it to the man, the look on the
Honair 5y ago My client was the defendant in a marijuana trial. At one point while she was testifying I noticed the jury looking down at her legs and feet. She had a tattoo of as marijuana leaf on her ankle. This was the 1980's. She had always wear pants to my office. She wore a dress to court. Guilty! 1.2K ...
socks707 5y ago Over my summer internship, I helped with trying to get some evidence admitted. The evidence was recorded audio of mental abuse over the phone (daughter talking to father). Lawyer spent a while trying to show there was no expectation of privacy for the conversation. Client went on stand and the first thing she said regarding the audio tape was that she always stays as far away from her daughter and lets the daughter lock her bedroom door, so that their conversation has the utmost privacy. It wasn't admitted lol + 1.1K ...
hankthetank2112 8mo ago It was a credit card fraud case in the early part of my career. Не actually wore the stolen clothes to court and a clerk at the defrauded store identified them in front of the jury. I felt like the guy in the commercial that asks want to be somewhere else? 1.1K ...
AliMcGraw 8mo ago Not me, but a colleague. A wealthy client's son got picked up for drug dealing at a local music festival. The client bailed him out, and then had his whole fancy law firm defend his son. The son shambled into the courtroom stoned off his ass, and loudly attempted to buy drugs off the bailiff. There wasn't a lot the lawyers could do after that. + 5.1K ...
azorianmilk 8mo ago Edited 8mo ago Recently was in court and apparently part of the requirements of this guy was that he not talk to his family. Не called his mother on Mother's Day. The judge said your mother seems to care about your freedom as little as you do- put the cuffs on him. Edit- | don't know the perimeters of this case, I was just a by stander in court. The lawyer, in sweats mind you, said Oh Judge, I told him. I told her. Can't fix stupid. It was wild to watch. + 3.2K ...
potatocross 8mo ago My wife's lawyer bans all clients from using social media after he lost a big case. Wrongful death lawsuit where a man's wife was killed. Easy money. They were about to settle until the other side found his pictures online from a club a week after his wife died getting a lap dance wearing a shirt that said 'I love milfs'. Apparently they didn't think he had much pain and suffering anymore. 8.1K ...
shaidyn 8mo ago I had an instructor who was a prosecutor. Не called a witness who had seen the whole thing, and had an interest in seeing the defendent punished. Slam dunk case. She thought she was on TV. She overacted EVERY WORD. Completely embellished the retelling of the events. Didn't lie, but she was the center of her version of events. Не said you could see the faces of the jury members sour minute on minute. Не lost the case. + 7K ...
5y ago Edited 5y ago Friend of mine is a defense attorney. Не was representing a guy with a lengthy record for assault. Basically this guy took an A/C unit and threw it at his girlfriend. My buddy tells me he was able to get a plea deal for 1 year probation no jail time. The judge is all ready to accept the deal when he asks the defendant if he had anything he would like to say. The defendant responds, yea I don't know why they charging me with assault I never touched her. I just threw and
dixiedemocrat 8mo ago With the utmost certainty in his voice, he yelled at the arresting officer that It's not domestic violence; I'm on public property! You could tell from his face he really thought he had the cop over a barrel on this one but... + 15K ...
mortismalum 5y ago Edited 5y ago 00 My father is a Judge. I remember him talking about a case where a woman was suing for a severe back injury that she said was preventing her from working and taking care of her kids and so on. In the middle of the trial a pen rolled off the table and she is bending over trying to reach it from her chair, but pen was too far away, so she stands up and bends over and picks it up and goes back to her seat as if nothing is out of the
The_Art_of_Dying 8mo ago Client was being sued and didn't like the opposing counsel or the judge so he left the court a bunch of voicemails so profane that he was subject to a criminal contempt of court hearing + 17K ...
notreallylucy 8mo ago Paralegal. Once had a convicted criminal explain to me how their murder charge should be overturned because the victim didn't die at the scene of the crime. The victim died at the hospital, therefore the defendant couldn't be charged with anything more than attempted murder. + 4.5K ...
veracassidy 5y ago I was involved in a hit and run car accident. My leg was pretty mangled. However the driver of the car was caught. Turns out he was a rich kid who was driving his mums convertible porche. Denied all knowledge of hitting me etc. At the trial the prosecutor asked him how long he had been driving to which he answered do you mean how long have i been driving legally or illegally' The judge then went nuts asking why and when he had been driving illegally. His defence team sat diwn in their chairs and shook their
Crow_eggs 5y ago Not my client, but the son of the opposing party (and presumably the party himself) lied about being blind to make himself seem more sympathetic as a witness. We didn't know either until he took the witness box, their counsel asked him to take the oath, and he picked the card up and read it. That was the cherry on top of a series of ridiculous events. The judge dismissed the whole thing in our client's favor shortly after. I was a trainee at the time, but my boss, who was in her late sixties then, said
AbjectDisaster 5y ago Case as a paralegal. Negligence case, client argued that a lack of street lights and a cyclist he couldn't see was responsible for him hitting a wire pole. Upon discovery, the first respondent's report indicated that they found the driver in the driver's seat, pants down, with porn playing on the phone. Wasn't difficult to figure out who was negligent at that point. + 17K ...
MrSatan2 5y ago Had a woman with an expensive fur coat and she claimed that the laundry ruined it. It was kinda ruined but the laundry claimed those stains were already there. Judge ordered an expert opinion (lab) and the fur coat had traces of cocaine and other illegal drugs all over it. There was a raid at her place then and her husband got convicted because they found several kg of drugs. + 12K ...
WoodenDeck 5y ago Edited 5y ago A Defendant was written a cell phone ticket while driving and defended himself. Your honor I was not using a smart phone while driving. I was actually using a flip phone. Guilty.. + 20K ...
LegalDuchess 5y ago That he filmed his offences for his youtube channel. The cops didn't even know, a witness brought it up on day three of a trial. It was a nice quick change of plea that afternoon. + 35K ...
CheapCigars 5y ago A buddy of mine case as a public defender. A gal was busted on drug charges, and told him she didn't have any drugs on her when they arrested her. Не thought, ok we'll use that. Turns out, she didn't have any drugs on her when they arrested her because she just sold them to an undercover cop. + 1.7K ...
lizard96golf e 5y ago Opposing counsel: Isn't it true you hit Victim in the face with a brick? Client: No. Marcus hit him with the brick. I hit him in the back with a piece of wood. + 3.5K ...
Theholynun . 5y ago . Edited 5y ago A friend of mine is a lawyer and he said that a client once turned up to court in the actual same outfit he was wearing in the burglary. When the CCTV footage come up in Evidence, the client looked down to himself and was like oooooh shit
Philosopher422 5y ago Employment case. We got to the deposition of my client and all set up. The first question is please state your name. The client looks at me and says Can we take a break? We do and she pulls me out in the hall to tell me she's lied to me about her identity. She's apparently a serial fruadster and has changed identities 7 times since the 90s. She apparently thought the other attorneys had some how figured it out and that's why they asked the question. 340 ...

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