# What happens if you refuse to get a lawyer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-refuse-to-get-a-lawyer/482764 "2009-01-24T04:32:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-refuse-to-get-a-lawyer/482764/21 "2009-01-24T18:59:17Z")
Interesting, and thank you. Seems… unusual, somehow, for the court to admit that the jury may base their opinions on something superficial. Sensible, though. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-refuse-to-get-a-lawyer/482764/22 "2009-01-24T20:17:40Z")
Serial killers and other sexual sadists have been known to act as their own “co-counsel” so they can study the crime scene photos. Ted Bundy used them for jerking off :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-refuse-to-get-a-lawyer/482764/23 "2009-01-24T22:23:12Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Serial killers and other sexual sadists have been known to act as their own “co-counsel” so they can study the crime scene photos. Ted Bundy used them for jerking off :eek: There was a fascinating Irish case where a rapist tried to personally cross-examine the rape victim. > [@Muffin](#): > > You might recall Handy, who provided medical opinions that were often very wrong. Was he a poster, or is that a reference to a TV show that I do not know? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-refuse-to-get-a-lawyer/482764/24 "2009-01-25T00:06:01Z")
Handy was a poster who used to give wildly innaccurate about medical (and other) questions and was eventually banned for ignoring repeated orders to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-refuse-to-get-a-lawyer/482764/25 "2009-01-25T01:48:01Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > There was a fascinating Irish case where a rapist tried to personally cross-examine the rape victim. Here in Kanukistan an accused is not necessarily permitted to personally cross-examine a witness. If necessary, the Court can appoint a lawyer to do the cross. [Criminal Code of Canada s. 486.3 (2)](http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/ShowDoc/cs/C-46/bo-ga:l_XIV::bo-ga:l_XV//en?page=10&isPrinting=false#codese:486_3-ss:_2_) > [@](#): > > In any proceedings against an accused, on application of the prosecutor or a witness, the accused shall not personally cross-examine the witness if the judge or justice is of the opinion that, in order to obtain a full and candid account from the witness of the acts complained of, the accused should not personally cross-examine the witness. The judge or justice shall appoint counsel to conduct the cross-examination if the accused does not personally conduct the cross-examination. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-refuse-to-get-a-lawyer/482764.md?page=1)