# Do defense attorneys feel remorse about helping guilty defendants get off scot-free? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-defense-attorneys-feel-remorse-about-helping-guilty-defendants-get-off-scot-free/714297 "2015-03-05T18:17:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-defense-attorneys-feel-remorse-about-helping-guilty-defendants-get-off-scot-free/714297/101 "2015-03-11T04:48:25Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > In that scenario you shouldn’t feel guilty, but what if you defend a different type - a serial killer of the Jeffrey Dahmer sort - and he is acquitted? How often has that really happened? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-defense-attorneys-feel-remorse-about-helping-guilty-defendants-get-off-scot-free/714297/102 "2015-03-11T13:08:12Z")
The most remorse-free defense attorneys may be the ones who specialize in representing people charged with killing or injuring children via Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy (these are parents (usually moms) who deliberately make their kids sick so the parent can revel in attention and sympathy). There are actually lawyers who specialize in defending these sociopaths. I’m not sure how the defense attorney in [this](http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Lacey-Spears-Son-Death-Westchester-Verdict-Salt-Jury-Trial-NY-White-Plains-294375701.html) [case](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/03/the-rare-disorder-experts-say-drove-lacey-spears-to-murder-her-son-with-salt/) could have lived with himself if his client got off, but he likely would have managed nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-defense-attorneys-feel-remorse-about-helping-guilty-defendants-get-off-scot-free/714297/103 "2015-03-11T13:11:50Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > How often has that really happened? They were not serial killers, but there are substantial numbers of people who will tell you that OJ Simpson’s and George Zimmerman’s attorneys defended obviously guilty clients and got them off. Both of them went on to further drama, though no additional killings. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-defense-attorneys-feel-remorse-about-helping-guilty-defendants-get-off-scot-free/714297/104 "2015-03-12T04:44:19Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > They were not serial killers, but there are substantial numbers of people who will tell you that OJ Simpson’s and George Zimmerman’s attorneys defended obviously guilty clients and got them off. Both of them went on to further drama, though no additional killings. Well thats the thing. In a way OJ and others have been and will always be punished thru the court of public opinion. OJ is no longer doing movies or Avis commercials. He lost most of his money. Down deep any murderer knows what they did and they have to deal with it and constantly be watching over their shoulder for someone either to take revenge or a new prosecutor. Also that they dont get drunk and spill the beans. I once read about a man who committed a murder like 20 years ago and when the cops finally found him he said he felt relieved. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-defense-attorneys-feel-remorse-about-helping-guilty-defendants-get-off-scot-free/714297/105 "2015-03-12T04:53:41Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Also that they dont get drunk and spill the beans. Heh…[whoops.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_i_did_it) Of course, Zimmerman and Simpson were both acquitted in a court of law – they could confess to their crimes from the top of the highest mountain, and t’aint a damn thing the law could do about it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-defense-attorneys-feel-remorse-about-helping-guilty-defendants-get-off-scot-free/714297/106 "2015-03-12T06:05:56Z")
Some suggest OJ has already: [If I Did It, by OJ Simpson.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_I_Did_It) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-defense-attorneys-feel-remorse-about-helping-guilty-defendants-get-off-scot-free/714297.md?page=5)